You Never Forget Your First Doctor
by Raine44354
Summary: It was supposed to be just a family trip to London. I never expected for me to see that big blue box. Nor did I expect that the Doctor was real. All I know is that I have to save them, even if I kill myself doing so. 9th Doctor x OC
1. 1x01

**Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who, however I wish I did. I do own Faline, seeing as she is basically what I aspire to be (even though I know I can't really be with the Doctor but a girl can dream). I'm not against the one-sided relationships between the Doctor and his companions (Martha and Amy) so that will still be there even with my character in place. (As you can tell from my rant Donna is and always will be my favorite female companion, Captain Jack being my favorite male followed closely by Rory and on Torchwood Ianto follows Captain Jack).**

**This is the only time I am going to place a Disclaimer or an Author's Note. I would like at least 5 reviews before I update a week from now. I expect to update once a week unless stated otherwise. If I don't get five reviews then I will wait an extra week to update, so I appologize ahead of time for those who do update.**

**I don't mind flames unless they are filled with nothing but bad comments and tell me nothing on how I can improve.**

**Pictures of Faline and any clothes she wears or anything important will be on my profile.**

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><p><strong>1x01 "Rose"<strong>

I could feel the harsh thumps against my chest as I ran though the streets of London. I wasn't running from anything or to anything particular. After the long flight I took to get here and sitting in that stupid seat for so long I just had to get out for a while. My family was at the hotel, they decided to sleep the flight up but I had so much pent up energy that I just went for a run. I told my parents where I was going and that I would be back later.

Slowly I came to a stop as the playlist on my I-Phone stopped playing music. I used that twenty-minute playlist to judge how long I was running for, now that it had stopped I planned to turn back around and go to the hotel. I took my I-Phone out of its arm strap and began the playlist from the beginning. I put the playlist back into the arm strap when I saw a peculiar blue police box. A smile lit up my face as I walked to it, pulling the headphones from my ears and shutting of my I-Phone.

"A Beautiful Blue Phone Box," I said to myself. I ran my hand over the wood and read the iconic words on it's front. "_Pull to Open_," I laughed to myself. "But the Doctor never pulls, he pushes." Doctor Who, one of a small few British television shows that cause me to stay up all night watching. Thank god I just graduated High School or else I would never get to sleep for school. But then I'm going to be the same for College so there's no real point. "I guess this is for some contest or something. Like when they built that award winning TARDIS back in the States," I said. I really have to stop talking to myself, but then if I did that all the creative juices would stop flowing though my brain and I wouldn't love to write in the first place.

I bit my lip, pulling my lip ring into my mouth while looking at the blue police box. "I could only dream that this was a real Type 40 TARDIS," I muttered. The chilled wind blew against my heated skin causing me to shiver. I looked to the sky and said, "Even the elements agree that if this were a _real_ TARDIS I would get chills." I laughed slightly but my laughter died in my throat as the door opened _inward_. No police box, fake or not, would open inward. There wouldn't be enough space for it to open inward.

"Oh Fuck," I muttered. Now tell me, if the door of the _actual_ TARDIS opened before you would you run or enter? Well I entered the TARDIS, staring at the console. "Fuck me, the real TARDIS." I unzipped my black tracksuit top, it was slightly more heated then what I thought it'd be.

I frowned at the controls, lightly running my fingers over them. I walked until I got to the screen, "If this is the real TARDIS, then how the hell did they make the television show. There should be protocols against that, like how Torchwood uses those mind wipe things." I quickly looked around, "Wait, if the TARDIS is real. That means Torchwood is real. Which means, Captain Jack is real. Which means…" I trailed off as the doors to the TARDIS opened and in walked, "The Doctor."

Doctor Nine looked at me, "How did you get in here?" he asked. I just stared at him. "Hello?" he asked. "How did you get in?"

I snapped out of it and said, "You're the Doctor."

He nodded, "Yes I am, now how did-"

I cut him off walking to him, "You're the 900 some odd year old Time Lord from Gallifrey that travels through time and space in his TARDIS."

His eyes widened, "How do you know that?"

I frowned, "Well I believe that, seeing as you're the _real_ Doctor and we're in the TARDIS … I think that I might have moved from my dimension to yours."

"What makes you say that?" he asked as he walked towards me.

"Well, seeing as where I'm from you're a television show and information about you is easily accessible," I frowned. "But I suppose saying too much about your future, such as your regenerations or any future companions, might change the coarse of time seeing as one cant tread on their own timeline other than for cheap parlor tricks."

The Doctor nodded slightly, "So you know about my future?"

I nodded, "Yes. Up until you rise to your highest and fall to your lowest." The Doctor gave me a strange look but I just waved him off, "Oh don't worry. That wont happen for a long while seeing as the control room looks this way and you are still in your Ninth regeneration, am I right?"

"Yes, but getting back to my first question how did you get in here?"

"Oh," I smiled and turned to the controls. "Your lovely TARDIS let me in." I turned to him, "She really is beautiful."

The Doctor gave a slight nod, "She is. But why did she let you in?"

I rolled my eyes, "Now how the hell am I supposed to know what goes on in the, for the lack of a better word, mind of a TARDIS? She could have brought me here to kill you, which I highly doubt, or she brought me in because she could tell I knew more than I should." I shrugged, "There could be a number of reasons and I highly doubt that she'll just _tell_ us either way. She'd want us to find out on our own," I smiled. "Because where's the fun in knowing the answers to everything all the time?"

The Doctor smiled back at me, "Oh, I like you."

I laughed. "Well of course you do. I was so wrapped up in your show that I started to think like you, and … well other organizations you're a part of." I wrinkled my nose, "Except UNIT. I've never liked UNIT."

The Doctor frowned again, "You know about UNIT?"

"Yes, just about every enemy you have I know about. Cybermen, Weeping Angels, Sontarans, and … Daleks." I watched the Doctor stiffen at the name. "I know about them all, those are just the ones I know for sure you have encountered before." I looked around the TARDIS before asking a question of my own, "What were you doing before you came in here?"

"What?" the Doctor asked snapping out of the flashbacks he had drawn himself into.

"Well, you rushed in here like a bat out of hell," I told him. "There has to be a reason for that, or at least an interesting story."

The Doctor just stared at me for a long moment before snapping his finger and turning his attention to the TADIS controls. "Right! I'm here because of a signal in plastic."

I froze, my mind immediately going to the few episodes where the Doctor was involved with plastic. Only one of them involved the Ninth regeneration, 'ROSE'. "Oh god," I muttered to myself as the Doctor continued speaking, all the technical terms of what exactly he was planning to do. I snapped my head to the Doctor, realizing he had been trying to get my attention, "Oh, yes?"

"Your name," he said. "I never got your name."

"Oh right," I held out my hand to the Doctor. "I'm Faline Marks. I'm eighteen years old, just graduated from my high school. I'm in London with my family as a graduation gift from, a relative I've never met, but then again I have a large family." My voice slowed, "And I'm rambling so I'll just shut up now." I smiled at the Doctor, "Let's go get your plastic."

"Right!" he said before flipping a switch on the TARDIS' controls.

I gasped and took hold of the railing before I burst into laughter. I was on the TARDIS, traveling through time with the Doctor. This was something just about every Who-vian would dream to happen to them. And it was happening to _me_ of all people! My heart hammered in my chest. Something this amazingly wonderful was happening to me, when I thought that the most exciting thing in my life was going to be coming to London on vacation, _this_ vacation. The TARDIS stopped moving but the smile never left my face. I turned to the Doctor, "That was _amazing_!"

"Well come on then," he told me as he headed towards the doors.

I immediately followed the Doctor, my smile growing. The doors opened and I saw the entrance to my hotel across the street. I frowned, "Please don't tell me you brought me back."

The Doctor looked at me confused as we both walked across the street. "No, why?"

I nodded to the building we were entering, "This is my hotel." I paused before letting loose a, "Shit." Another odd look from the Doctor caused me to answer, "My parents are going to _kill_ me." I turned to him, "What floor is it on?"

The Doctor looked at the device in his hands, which thankfully looked like a cellphone. "Third floor," he told me.

I groaned, "Awesome, that's my floor." The two of us rushed to the staircase, I knew he liked the staircase better than the elevator. I followed him up the stairs, and through the doorway letting off on the third floor. The Doctor walked forward and to the door to room 313. "You're kidding me," I said. The Doctor looked at me as I pulled out my key card and pushed him out of the way before he could use his sonic screwdriver. I swiped the key and the door unlocked, I pushed it open and turned to the Doctor before I let him in. "If my parents ask you're from the front desk, you were just leaving when I asked if you could help me find my room, alright?"

The Doctor nodded, "Alright."

I turned and walked in with the Doctor following me, "Mom, Dad! Krueger!" I called out to my family, ignoring the harsh nickname we came up for my younger sister. Well, my parents called her 'Freddy' and I just added the Krueger. No one answered. I frowned and looked around the hotel room, the beds were made and there were no suitcases lying about. I turned to the Doctor, "Doctor?" I asked confused. "Where are they?"

"Are you sure we're in the right room?" he asked.

I glared at him and pointed to the single bag in the room, my carry on that sat where I had placed it, besides the door to the bathroom. "That's _my_ bag Doctor," I told him. I went over to the black backpack and opened it, seeing my laptop inside along with my important documents and all of the money I received from my graduation party for spending money, already converted into pounds, even though I knew I should use it on college. I pulled out my passport and showed it to him, "See?" The Doctor had nothing to say to me. I turned and put my passport back into my bag. "Where's the signal coming from?" I asked him.

The Doctor frowned at me, "What about your family?"

I glared at him, my eyes watering. I didn't want to think about what my have happened to them. This is the world of the Doctor. Anything could have happened to them. "I think that right now this signal of living plastic is more important than my missing family, Doctor."

The Doctor was silent for a long moment before nodding and using the device to try and find the signal. While the Doctor worried with that I turned back to my bag, checking everything was in it. I didn't want anything to be missing from my bag, and I knew the Doctor was watching me. I didn't want him to see as I cried about the loss of my family.

I always knew that I was different from my family; I knew that there was something about me compared to them that was off. I had blue eyes; no one in my family had blue eyes, not even my cousins. I was so attached to the idea of travel, which is why I was so happy that I was able to travel to London. My family didn't like traveling, even though my dad (well step-dad but for all intensive purposes my real father) was sent over seas numerous times he didn't like it. I loved history even though in school I was horrible at it, the only one to share this love was my grandfather and he died when I was fifteen. I barely looked anything like my family, we had the similar features but my younger sister looks more like my mother than I do and I definitely don't look anything like my biological father. Yet, even with these differences they were my family and it killed me inside to think that they were gone.

I wiped away my tears and zippered my bag, closing it. I turned to the Doctor, only to see him on top of one of the beds looking over the side. "Did you bring a cat?" he asked.

My eyes widened as I remembered that phrase from 'Rose' even though my inner turmoil. "No Doctor!" I shouted. I rushed at him, pushing him back onto the bed only to see that the living plastic arm attached itself to his face. I grabbed hold of the arm's wrist pulling only to have it come off and attach itself to my face. The sudden force knocked me back off the Doctor and onto the floor. The plastic hand covered both my mouth and nose, keeping the air from getting in.

I kept my eyes closed and listened as the sonic screwdriver hummed from beside my head as they Doctor tried to find the correct setting to remove the plastic arm. I listened to him as he spoke to me, "Hold on, just a second." The hand was ripped from my face and I sat up gasping for the air I was deprived of only moments before. I looked to the Doctor to see him smile at me, "It's alright, I've stopped it. There you go, you see?" He tossed the arm at me, which I quickly caught. "'Armless."

I glared at him, "Oh ya?" I then hit him with the arm. I helped with the built up anger and sadness that I had inside me from the loss of my family.

"Ow," he complained holding his arm. The Doctor then stood up, helping me up right after. I tossed the arm into the trashcan in the bathroom. If the hotel windows could open I would have thrown it out, but after watching the 'Hangover' so many times I knew that I shouldn't even bother to try.

The Doctor began to leave and it took a moment for me to realize this. "Hey!" I growled as I ran after him, grabbing my bag on the way. I had a feeling that I wasn't going to be going back to my hotel room any time soon. "You can't just _leave_ after that arm attacked me!"

"Ya, I can. This is me leaving," he said as he continued to the stairs and opened the door.

"You can't just walk away from me Doctor, that isn't right!" I growled. "You don't just _leave_ me like this. I know who you are, where you're from." He just kept walking down the stairs. At the next landing I stopped him by grabbing his arm and turning him to face me. "You can't just run away from me Doctor. Aren't you the least bit curious why I know so much about you? Why the TARDIS just let me in like she did? Doesn't that mean _anything_ to you?"

"Of course it does," he told me. "But you have your own problems at the moment."

I bit my lip and looked at the floor for a long moment as I played with my lip ring. As I did so the Doctor walked around me and continued down to the lobby. I looked back up expecting him to be there, only to see him gone. I turned and bolted down the stairs, "Doctor!" By the time he was in my sights again he was about to cross the street to get to the TARDIS. I ran after him, he was across the street when I caught up after dodging cars along the way. "Doctor!" I yelled as I grabbed his arm. Tears spilled from my eyes as I looked up at him. "You can't just leave me here!" I told him. "It's not like I'm from here! I've barely been in London for ten hours, and you just want to leave me here. My family is gone Doctor, and I'm pretty sure that I won't see them again. I know what kind of things happen in your world Doctor. I don't want to just be dropped off here and be left alone in _your_ world where things like living plastic tries to suffocate me."

"The plastic wasn't after you," the Doctor said as he walked to the TARDIS and opened her. "It was after me."

"You don't think I know that?" I asked as I pushed my away into the TARDIS. He couldn't leave me alone too. My family was gone, I didn't want to the only person that could know what it's like to be left all alone to leave me like they did, even if it wasn't their choice. I took my backpack off and placed it beside one of the golden arches extending to the ceiling. "I know that the stupid arm only fixed in on me because I met you. And I know that the whole world basically revolves around you Doctor." I walked towards the Doctor taking his hands, "I know that you can feel the world moving beneath your feet going … however fast the world spins even though no _human_ can. You feel it; you, Mister Time Lord, can." I released the Doctor's hands.

The Doctor stared at me a long moment, "How _exactly_ do you know all of this?"

I sighed, "Where I am from you a part of a television show made, here in the UK. It's been going on for years, ending then starting up again while changing the Doctor, you around. I've seen everything starting from now until … some time into your Eleventh regeneration." I looked around the TARDIS. "I know quiet a bit about you Doctor. I know how the Time Lord race began and I know how it ended." I frowned. "I know that you're the Doctor, and even though you try not to muddle with History you always do. I know quiet a bit about your future companions and some about companions from the past, like Sarah Jane Smith." His eyes widened at the familiar name. "I know that this regeneration likes to say, 'Fantastic' and that you have a thing for leather jackets. I know similar things about your next two regenerations also, which I won't tell you."

"And why not?" he asked.

I smiled, "Well other than the fact that it's a _spoiler_." I laughed slightly at the word. "I know that you frown upon knowing too much about one's future." I frowned slightly, "Shouldn't we be looking for the main signal coming from the plastic before it decides to take over the world?"

The Doctor nodded. I'm sure he was shocked about everything I knew about him. "Right," he said returning to the console.

As he worked on searching for the signal I frowned, remembering something. Even though I had partially taken away Rose's part, doesn't mean she didn't exist here. "Doctor," I said catching his attention. "Before you blew up that building right before we met, did you happen to meet a blonde teen going by the name of _Rose_?"

The Doctor frowned slightly before nodding, "Ya. Why?"

I smiled, "Then I might just know where to find your next signal."

-x-x-x-

The Doctor and I walked in through the back entrance of the pizza place that Rose and the Plastic Mickey were at. "Hey," someone called to us. "What are you doing here?"

The Doctor whipped out his 'slightly psychic paper' and said, "We're Heath Inspectors." The man that spoke to us immediately backed off. I took the Doctor's arm and looked at the paper. "It's Psychic Paper, but I suppose you already know that."

I nodded, "I do." A smile spread across my lips, "I just wanted to see if I could see what was on the psychic paper. It's always been something I was curious about."

The Doctor rose an eyebrow at me, "Can you?"

I smiled at him, "No."

The Doctor returned my smile with his own, "Brilliant." I froze, that was probably the nicest thing a person has ever said to me. I brushed off the feeling that filled me, for all I know this was all a dream and I was going to wake up. Maybe I got hit by a car during my run and died. Either way, I wanted to stay with the Doctor for as long as I could, even if he didn't want me there.

We walked through the double doors and stood near the bar. I scanned the restaurant, looking for the blonde girl and her plastic date. Immediately my eyes settled on Rose Tyler, she was even prettier in person. I can't believe that she was really there. I quickly glanced at the Doctor, who left my side to deliver the _lovely couple_ their wine. My chest burned at the thought of the heartbreak that the Doctor was going to have to go through because he looses Rose. That was the only thing I disliked about the blonde in the series, the heartbreak she caused the Doctor, even though it wasn't her fault.

Slowly I made my way though the crowded restaurant, the Plastic Mickey's words began to fill my head as I read his lips from where I was. "_What was he doing there_?" he asked.

Rose frowned and said, "_I'm not going on about him, Mickey, I'm not, because, I know it sounds daft but... I don't think he's safe. I think he's dangerous_." I frowned, seeing as I took her place how can she know what to say. Maybe she still went to see that guy, whatever his name was, to check him out.

"_But you can trust me sweetheart_!" the Plastic Mickey's head gave a violent twitch as he began to say in quick succession, "_Babe, sugar, darling, sugar_." Rose looked on confused, "_You can tell me anything. Tell me about the Doctor and what he's planning, and I can help you, Rose. Because that's all I really wanna do, sweetheart_," he head shook violently again as he spoke again, "_babe, sugar, sweetheart_."

Rose frowned at him, "_What're you doing that for_?"

The Doctor approached their table by now, I could almost hear his voice in my head as he said, "_Your champagne_."

The Plastic Mickey brushed the Doctor off, not even bothering to look at him, "_We didn't order any champagne_." He took Rose's hand. "_Where's the Doctor_?"

The Doctor gave me a look as he moved to the other side of the table and held the bottle out to Rose. "_Ma'am. Your champagne_."

Rose waved a hand at him. I began to walk closer to the three, their words finally being able to reach my ears. "It's not ours... Mickey, what is it? What's wrong?"

Plastic Mickey practically growled at Rose, "I need to find out how much you know, so where is he?"

The Doctor sighed and asked, "Doesn't anybody want this champagne?"

Plastic Mickey rose his eyes to the Doctor for the first time while speaking, "Look, we didn't order i—" He stopped when he realized that what he thought to be a waiter was actually the Doctor. Plastic Mickey smiled, "Ah. Gotcha."

By this time a few tables had turned to see what was going on. I glanced at them nervously; I was starting to feel a little self-conscious being in my running gear. My attention turned to the Doctor as he began to shake the champagne bottle. He smiled at those who were paying more attention to us than their own meals, "Don't mind me. I'm just toasting the happy couple. On the house!" The Doctor popped the top off the bottle and the cork flew into the Plastic Mickey's forehead. Rose immediately stood as people shouted.

The cork melted into the Plastic Mickey's forehead and popped out of his mouth. Plastic Mickey glared at the Doctor, "Anyway," he said. I grabbed Rose's arm and pulled her back as the Plastic Mickey formed his hand into a club and slammed it down on the table. The table crumbled under the force as Rose screamed, moving farther away. The Doctor grabbed Plastic Mickey's head and pulled it off causing other restaurant goers to scream and jump from their seats. I turned and looked for the fire alarm.

As soon as I saw it I rushed over and pulled it down as a few others screamed. "Everyone out!" I screamed at them. Plastic Mickey's body stood and he began to smash around the restaurant, Rose began to run past me but I grabbed her wrist. "Rose, come with me. I know some place safe," I told her. The blonde, frightened, agreed and followed me as I ran though the kitchen and out the back of the restaurant. The Doctor followed after us and closed the door behind himself using the sonic screwdriver.

Rose frantically tried to find a way out, tugging at the bolted gate. I pulled myself from the blonde's strong grasp and walked to the TARDIS and leaned against her. "Open the gate! Use that tube thing, come on!" Rose shouted at him.

The Doctor lifted up the 'tube thing', "What, this? This is a sonic screwdriver."

Rose turned and growled, "Use it!"

I shook my head, "Rose calm down. Your safe with the Doctor." The Doctor gave me a small surprised look. I suppose it kept slipping his mind that I knew so much about him, or maybe he was surprised that even after everything that has happened to me so far after meeting him I just put my trust in him so fully.

Rose glared at me and I flinched, "That _thing_ is coming to get us and you want me to calm down?" She then turned to the Doctor, "Get us out of here!"

The Doctor shook his head, "Nah. Tell ya what, let's go in here." He walked to the TARDIS and unlocked her. Plastic Mickey was beginning to make dents in the door from the other side, and I wasn't going to lie. I was a little scared at what would happen were it not for the Doctor being here to get us out of this situation.

Rose ran over to look at the TARDIS. "We can't hide inside a wooden box!" She ran to the gate and rattled the chains. By this time I turned and entered the TARDIS, the noise from the Plastic Mickey was really starting to scare me. "It's gonna get us! Doctor!" I looked back from going up the ramp just in time to see Rose run into the police box. The blonde stood still taking in the fact that the TARDIS was bigger on the inside. If I hadn't already seen Doctor Who I would have been the same way, but then I suppose I was the same way when I realized that this was truly the TARDIS. I watched as Rose ran back out of the TARDIS and disappeared around the side. It wasn't long before she came back around and entered the TARDIS, the door closing behind her. "It's gonna follow us!" Rose cried.

I smiled as the Doctor said, "The assembled hoards of Genghis Khan couldn't get through that door, and believe me, they've tried."

I laughed and the Doctor turned to me, "That sounds like a fun story."

"It is. Now, shut up a minute." I rolled my eyes and turned my attention to Rose. The blonde stood trembling near the door of the TARDIS, looking around at how huge she was compared with the outside. I turned back to the Doctor to see him wiring Plastic Mickey's head to the TARDIS controls. The Time Lord continued talking to me, "You see, the arm is too simple, but the head's perfect." I glanced at Rose to see what she still looked overwhelmed. "I can use it to trace the signal back to the original source. Right." The Doctor turned and faced Rose, giving her his full attention. "Where do you want to start?"

Rose was silent for a moment before saying, "Um... the inside's bigger than the outside?"

"Yes," the Doctor said as he came to stand beside me.

I glanced at him quickly before turning my attention to rest fully on Rose. "It's alien," the blonde said.

"Yup."

Rose looked between the two of us, "Are you two aliens?"

I then quickly answered, "I'm not. But the Doctor here," I patted his shoulder, "is."

Rose was silent for a long moment before the Doctor asked, "Is that alright?"

"Yeah," the blonde answered quickly.

The Doctor accepted her quick answer and then went on explaining, "It's called the TARDIS, this thing. T-A-R-D-I-S, that's Time And Relative Dimension In Space." A small sob escaped Rose's lips, which the Doctor took to mean something entirely different. "That's okay. Culture shock. Happens to the best of us."

I shook my head and placed my hand on his arm, "That's not why she's crying."

"Did they kill him? Mickey? Did they kill Mickey? Is he dead?"

"Oh... didn't think of that," the Doctor said.

Rose glared at the Doctor, "He's my boyfriend. You pulled off his head - they copied him and you didn't even think? And now you're just going to let him melt?"

"Melt?" the Doctor asked as both he and I turned around to see the Plastic Mickey's head melting with a bubbling noise. "Oh, no no no no no NO!" The Doctor ran frantically around the console, pressing buttons and pulling levers.

"What're you doing?" Rose asked angrily.

"Reviving the signal, it's fading! Wait I've got it..." he looked at the screen. "No No No No No No NO!" The TARDIS shook as the engine's began to move. I grabbed hold of the railing and watched the Doctor. "Almost there! Almost there! Here we go!" The engines stopped and the Doctor ran out the TARDIS doors without another word. I followed after the Time Lord, knowing fully well that we were safe and that he was going to need all the help he could get dealing with Rose.

"You can't go out there, it's not safe!" Rose yelled following the two of us.

It was then that I began to take in the sights, I mean even though I watch a lot of BBC television, seeing the Thames River and the London Eye in real life was pretty amazing. The Doctor was beside me, pouting, "I lost the signal, I got so close."

I turned to face Rose as she spoke, "We've moved! Does it fly?" Immediately I thought of when the TARDIS flew across the highway when the evil Santa's had taken Donna after she first met the Doctor.

The Doctor brushed off her comment with a simple answer, "Disappears there, reappears here, you wouldn't understand."

Rose frowned slightly, "But if we're somewhere else, what about that headless thing? It's still on the loose."

"It melted with the head," I told her.

The Doctor drowned my voice out as he asked, "Are you going to witter on all night?"

Rose then began to frown and the face she made caused me to think of a wounded dove. "I'll have to tell his mother..." The Doctor looked at her questioningly while I looked away. "Mickey! I'll have to tell his mother he's dead, and you just went and forgot him, again!" The Doctor rolls his eyes, unconcerned, while I couldn't even bring myself to look at Rose. I may know that Mickey was perfectly fine, well as fine as one could be after being kidnapped by a trashcan. Rose glared at the Doctor, purposefully ignoring me. "You were right, you ARE alien."

Rose began to walk away from us, but the Doctor's uncaring comment caused her to stop. "Look, if I did forget some kid called Mickey—"

"Yeah, he's not a kid," the blonde interrupted.

The Doctor continued as though her were never interrupted, "It's because I'm trying to save the life of every stupid ape blundering on top of this planet, alright?"

"Alright!"

"Yes! It is!" the Doctor growled.

Rose shook her head disbelievingly while I said, "You just have to have the last word don't you?" The Doctor gave me a look but didn't say anything, trying to prove me wrong.

"If you are an alien, then how comes you sound like you're from the North?" Rose asked suddenly.

The Doctor answered at the same time I did, having always liked this line, "Lots of planets have a North." The Doctor looked at me a moment before crossing his arms.

Rose turned to me, "Well what about you?"

"I'm not an alien," I said. "I only _officially_ met the Doctor within ten minutes of your job blowing up."

"Officially?" Rose echoed.

I glanced at the Doctor to see him staring at me, wanting to see my answer. I nodded, "I've chatted with the same guy you did today. I just happen to have more information than him because I'm much more open minded about this kind of stuff."

Rose was silent for a moment before asking, "What's a police public call box?"

The Doctor then began to speak again, I can tell it was killing him not to be talking. "It's a telephone box from the 1950s." He patted the TARDIS fondly, grinning. "It's a disguise."

Rose smiled and shook her head. "Okay. And this living plastic, what's it got against us?"

"Nothing," the Doctor said, "it loves you. You've got such a good planet. Lots of smoke and oil, plenty of toxins and dioxins in the air... perfect. Just what the Nestene Consciousness needs. It's food stock was destroyed in the war, all its protein plants rotted, so Earth... dinner!"

"Any way of stopping it?" I asked him, even though I knew the answer. Wow, I really have to stop watching Doctor Who so much.

Grinning, the Doctor produced a tube of blue liquid from his jacket. "Anti-plastic!" he said triumphantly.

"Anti-plastic..." Rose said slowly.

"Anti-plastic! But first I've got to find it." Immediately I turned my head to the London Eye. I bit onto my lip ring, should I tell him? "How can you hide something that big in a city this small?"

"Hold on... hide what?" Rose asked.

"The transmitter. The Consciousness is controlling every single piece of plastic so it needs a transmitter to boost the signal."

I released my lip ring and asked while still looking at the London Eye, "What's it look like?"

From the corner of my eye I could see the Doctor begin to walk around but not turn my way, "Like a transmitter. Round and massive, slap bang in the middle of London." He paced around, agitated, looking around for a clue. "A huge circular metal structure... like a dish..." He stopped facing Rose, his back to the London Eye. "…like a wheel. Close to where we're standing. Must be COMPLETELY invisible."

Finally I couldn't take it, even though this part was pretty funny I wanted to get this over with. I walked to the Doctor and said, "You could just ask me."

The Doctor frowned at me, "Isn't that a _spoiler_?" he joked at me.

I shook my head, "Not really. I'm just skipping over you being the smartest idiot that ever existed." The Doctor glared at me and I smiled in return. Rose looked back and forth between us confused. "It's the London Eye." I turned and began walking to the bridge waiting for the Doctor and Rose to catch up with me.

The Doctor ran past me, grabbing my hand along the way. I ignored the gesture and began to run with the Doctor, thank god I was in shape or else this wouldn't have been very fun at all. I glanced behind us too see Rose following, well of course she would. She's Rose Tyler, and she has to find Mickey alive and well. I kind of have to too. Even though no matter what happens Mickey will not join the Doctor for a while now, I still found him to be an interesting character. I always liked Mickey, same with Rory. They are the underappreciated companions. Like Ianto was underappreciated in Torchwood. If I ever have the chance to meet Rory I plan on hugging him, same with Mickey of course.

I was pulled out of my thoughts as we stopped in front of the London Eye. The Doctor turned to us, "Think of it. Plastic, all over the world. Every artificial thing waiting to come alive. The shop window dummies, the phones, the wires, the cables..."

"The breast implants..." Rose cut in causing me to laugh. The blonde smiled at me, if Rose joined us I can tell that we would be good friends. Well that is if I was going to go with the Doctor in the first place. Oh god, I hope I do.

"Still," the Doctor said after our laughter calmed. "We've, well Faline, found the transmitter. The Consciousness must be somewhere underneath."

I turned around and nodded towards a manhole at the foot of the wall Rose began looking over. "Rose found the way down," I told the Doctor.

The Doctor turned to me as Rose called out, "What about down here?"

The Doctor grabbed my hand and pulled me to join Rose. Why does he keep grabbing my hand? Does he think I plan on leaving after I've been tossed into this crazy world all alone? "Let's go," the Doctor said. We ran down the stairs to the manhole. The Doctor took off the lid, a red light and smoke began to pour out.

I frowned looking down, "Who want's to go down the creepy glowing manhole first?" The Doctor didn't say anything, only climbed down the manhole first. Rose went second and I climbed down last after looking around quickly. I felt like I was doing something wrong as I went down the manhole. I felt like I was going to intrude on what happens to cause Rose to go with the Doctor, well intrude more than I already did. As I went down my PUMA sneaker slipped half way down causing me to fall back … into the Doctor's arms. I smiled and looked up at him, "Even _I_ didn't see that coming."

The Doctor laughed and placed me on my feet, "Are you sure your not going to fall again?"

I punched the Doctor in the shoulder with a glare. "Shut up." The Doctor clutched his shoulder with a smirk.

The Doctor led the way down a long tunnel with a door at the end. He opened the door to another chamber, the whole room having a red glow like the tunnel and then manhole when uncovered. The Doctor pointed over to a huge, orange, wobbling mass in the middle of the chamber. "The Nestene Consciousness," he told Rose and I, "that's it, inside the vat. A living, plastic creature."

"Well, then. Tip in your anti-plastic and let's go." Rose said.

I shook my head, "Rose that's not how the Doctor works." As I spoke the Doctor, again, led the way down a set of stairs. "The Doctor is willing to give everything a chance. The anti-plastic is only a precaution in case he can't reason with it. Killing something, or destroying something is never the first resort when with the Doctor, it's _always_ the last." The Doctor turned back to look at me causing me to smile as I continued, "That's why he's the Doctor."

We continued down more steps. Rose separated from us as the Doctor leaned over the railing and addressed the Consciouness. "I seek audience with the Nestene Consciousness under peaceful contract. According to convention 15 of the Shadow Proclamation." The Consciouness flobbled around a bit. "Thank you. That I and my companion might have permission to approach." My eyes went wide when he said 'companion'. The Doctor turned slightly to me, "What?"

"Which companion?" I muttered as Rose ran past me to Mickey.

The Doctor frowned, "You." Apparently I looked shocked because the Doctor continued, "Seeing as you know so much about me I can't leave you here. And your right, leaving you here by yourself would be wrong."

"Doctor, they kept him alive!" Rose called ruining our, I guess 'moment'.

The Doctor and I began walking towards them, "Yeah, that was always a possibility. Keep him alive to maintain the copy."

Rose glared, "You knew that and you never said?"

"Can we keep the domestics outside, thank you?" As Rose helped Mickey to his feet, the Doctor pulled me to approach the Consciousness. "Am I addressing the Consciousness?" There was a soft, grumble. "Thank you. If I might observe, you infiltrated this civilization by means of warped, shunt technology. So, may I suggest, with the greatest respect, that you shunt off?" The plastic globbered in what appeared to be a negative manner. The Doctor rolled his eyes, "Oh don't give me that, it's an invasion! Plain and simple! Don't talk about constitutional rights!" The plastic reared what would appear to be its head angrily. "I - am - talking!" I smiled, I always loved it when the Doctor got angry at people, or aliens, that interrupted him while he was talking about something that was important and needed to be heard. "This planet is just starting. These stupid little people have only just learnt how to walk, but they're capable of so much more. I'm asking you on their behalf - please, just go."

I turned as Rose called out, "DOCTOR!" However, my turn was small before I was grabbed around the waist by one of the Autons. Finally! I remembered their stupid names.

I turned to the Doctor as he said, "That was just insurance! I wasn't going to USE it." I noticed an Auton holding the Doctor's anti-plastic. The plastic globbered angrily. "I was not attacking you. I'm here to help. I'm not your enemy. I swear, I'm not... what do you mean?" Doors above us opened to reveal the TARDIS. "Oh, oh no - honestly, no! Yes, that's my ship." The plastic roared. "That's not true. I should know, I was there. I fought in the war - it wasn't my fault! I couldn't save your world! I couldn't save any of them!"

Anger filled me as I began to fling my body around, "In no way possible was it the Doctor's fault! How could it be his fault when everything he had, too was lost?"

The Doctor turned to me and stared. He probably didn't think I would defend him the way I did. But, he didn't know what I did. I _knew_ what happened to him and how it affected him and his regenerations because each had a slightly different reaction, but all were still heartbroken.

"What's it doing?" Rose shouted to us.

"It's the TARDIS! The Nestene has identified its superior technology - it's terrified! It's going to the final base. It's starting the invasion! Get out, Rose! Just leg it! Now!" The Doctor then turned to me, "I'm sorry Faline. I'm sorry that this all happened to you."

I smiled, still struggling in my hold, "Nothing to be sorry about."

The Consciousness sent out a signal. The Doctor looked at me with wide eyes as my smile dropped, "It's the activation signal! It's transmitting!" I began to struggle harder against the Auton. The Doctor turned towards Rose and Mickey, "Get out, Rose! Just get out! Run!"

I flinch when I hear part of the ceiling fall. "The stairs have gone!" Rose yelled. There was running. I turned to see Rose and Mickey trying desperately to get into the TARDIS. "I haven't got the key!" Rose yelled frustrated.

"We're gonna die!" Mickey cried. I frowned as everything began to become real when the Auton holding me tightened it's grip. This is the point in time when I realized that I could actually die in the Doctor's world, that death is just around the corner at every moment. Tears began to cascade down my cheeks. Please, please, anyone that was listening to my pathetic little self. Please let it be that all of this is just like the series with my useless self thrown into the mix. Please. "Just leave them!" Mickey yelled. "There's nothing you can do!"

I forced the Auton to turn me around so I could see Rose. The blonde teen picked up an axe. "I've got no A Levels. No job... No future." Rose hacked at a chain on the wall, trying to release it. "But I tell you what I have got. Jericho Street Junior School under 7s gymnastic team." The chain came loose and Rose grabbed onto it. "I got the bronze!"

Rose swang across the gap over the Consciousness. She kicked the Autons holding the Doctor hostage into the Nestene, anti-plastic and all. The Doctor pushed the Auton holding me away from me and into the Nestene. The Conciousness began to writhe and scream. Rose landed safely in the Doctor's arms when she came swinging back to us.

"Now we're in trouble," the Doctor said. The Consciousness started to explode as Rose, the Doctor, and I ran to the TARDIS. The Doctor opened the door to the TARDIS and we rushed inside.

I turned to Mickey, "You better hold onto something Mickey." He turned to me with wide eyes before doing as I suggested. The Doctor started up the TARDIS and she shook as she began to move though, mostly space but a little bit of time.

As soon as the TARDIS settled down Mickey ran backwards out of the TARDIS, falling over. A look of complete and utter terror spread across his face. He backed against a wall. Rose, however was much more calm as she stepped out and began to call her mother.

"Are you alight?" the Doctor asked as he came to stand beside me.

I nodded, rubbing as my bruised wrists. "A little bumps and bruises never killed me before." I smiled at the Doctor but notice his face held a slight frown. "What? I promise you Doctor, I'm fine."

"You started to cry," he told me.

I turned my head away. "Yes, well. I suppose that was because even though I knew what was going on it still terrified me. I still didn't want to die." I turned back to the Doctor with a bright smile, "But as long as the Doctor lives on then all is good. As long as the Doctor doesn't die, and stay dead, then I know that everything will be okay and that everyone will at least have a chance."

The Doctor frowned, "You really think that?"

I smiled at him, "Doctor. I have self worth issues, I'm not afraid to admit that. I'm also paranoid and slightly OCD. I have issues. But I know that even though I fear death, as long as you live then whatever death I go through will be well worth it." The Doctor looked to interrupt, "I know that you wouldn't let me die, and that you plan on returning me home somehow. But if that doesn't happen, Doctor, then you better know that I plan to step in front of the scariest thing imaginable for you. Be it Cybermen, Weeping Angels, Vashta Nerada, or Daleks. Nothing can stop me for protecting you Doctor, like you would do anything to protect your companions."

The Doctor smiled, "Like you?"

Turning, I grabbed onto the Doctor's arms, "Really?"

"Yes," he said only to have the air forced out of him as I wrapped my arms his waist and pushed my head against his chest.

I could hear his hearts pick up in beats inside his chest. I laughed slightly. "Two hearts," I muttered.

"A fat lot of good you were!" Rose told Mickey. I pulled myself from the Doctor to look at them.

The Doctor stood right behind me as he spoke, "Nestene Consciousness?" He snapped his fingers. "Easy."

Rose smiled at him, "You were useless in there. You'd both be dead if it wasn't for me."

The Doctor nodded, "Yes, we would. Thank you. Right then! I'll be off! Unless, uh... I don't know... you could come with me." Rose looked at him and put her hands into her pockets. "This box isn't just a London hopper, you know, it goes anywhere, any_when_ in the universe free of charge."

Mickey frowned, "Don't! He's an alien! He's a thing!"

"He's NOT invited," the Doctor said.

I pouted, "Aw. I like Mickey."

The Doctor poked me in the back causing me to flinch slightly as he spoke, "What do you think? You could stay here and fill your life with work and food and sleep, or you could go, uh... anywhere."

"Any_when_," I added trying to speed Rose's choice along and save the TARDIS a useless trip. If she knew what I was doing I'm sure she would appreciate it.

"Is it always this dangerous?" Rose asked.

The Doctor and I both answered with a nod, "Yeah."

Mickey wrapped his arms around Rose's legs like a little child. I smiled thinking of when Rose went back to foolishly save her father and how he acted the same way when he was younger. "Yeah, I can't. I've gotta go and find my mum and someone's gotta look after this stupid lump..." She laughed and patted Mickey on the back.

The Doctor nodded and said, "Okay. See you around."

I frowned and watched Mickey get up and grab hands with Rose to tug her away. But wasn't Rose supposed to go with the Doctor? Or, I glanced back to the open TARDIS doors, was I taking her place? I turned back to Rose and called out to her, "Rose!" The blonde turned to look at me and Mickey froze in place tightening his grip on her hand. "We'll see you again. I _know_ it."

Rose nodded and returned, "I hope so Faline."

I smiled and turned to the TARDIS, rushing inside. The doors closed automatically behind me, beginning my adventure with the Doctor.

**END**


	2. 1x02

**1x02 "The End of the World"**

I ran to the TARDIS console, smiling at the Doctor. The Doctor returned my smile, "Right then, Faline Marks - you tell me, where do you want to go? Backwards or forwards in time. What's it going to be?"

I paused thinking, remembering where and when the Doctor chooses to go to, and then said, "Forwards."

The Doctor pressed a few buttons on the TARDIS. "How far?" he asked as I walked over to the pilot seat and sat down, taking off my jacket.

I looked up slightly, pretending to think and then picked a random but even number, "One hundred years."

The Doctor pulled a lever and turned a knob. The engines lurched and then stopped after a few seconds. He nodded outside, "There you go, step outside those doors, it's the twenty-second century."

I shrugged with a smirk, "Sounds a bit boring, how about going further?"

The Doctor returned my smirk and started up the engines again. When they stopped, he looked at me. "Ten thousand years in the future. Step outside, it's the year 12005, the New Roman Empire."

I smirked and teasingly said, "You and your wonderful TARDIS think you're so impressive."

The Doctor looked shocked and said, "We ARE so impressive!"

"You wish!" I laughed.

The Doctor smirked, "Right then, you asked for it. I know exactly where to go." He revved up the engine, and pumped a lever furiously. "Hold on!" The TARDIS hurtled through the time vortex. With a pinging noise, the TARDIS stopped.

I jumped off the seat and rushed to the doors. I threw them open without saying a word to the Doctor and without him having a chance to speak. I found myself in some kind of wooden room. The Doctor followed me out and with his sonic screwdriver; the Doctor opened the shutters of an enormous window. We went down the stairs and find ourselves looking down on the planet Earth.

"You lot," the Doctor spoke. "You spend all your time thinking about dying. Like you're going to get killed by eggs or beef or global warming or asteroids. But you never take time to imagine the impossible. Maybe you survive. This is the year 5.5/apple/26. Five billion years in your future. This is the day... hold on..." I wasn't listening as much as he thought I was, not that I saw, I was too busy watching the burning sun. It always amazed me how much power could be put into something and how beautiful it looked. I could only hope that when I 'died' I went out with as much beauty as a sun. "This is the day the sun expands. Welcome to-"

I interrupted him, "Earth's End." The Doctor frowned slightly at me and I shrugged, "You took Rose here. I guess me coming with you has changed something, but you still brought me here so it cant have changed too much." I smiled, "This is amazing. I'm sure not many companions say this to you, but 'Thank you Doctor'."

-x-x-x-

A computerized voice loudly announced, "Shuttles 5 and 6 now docking. Guests are reminded that platform 1 forbids the use of weapons, teleportation and religion. Earth Death is scheduled for 15:39, followed by drinks in the Manchester Suite."

The Doctor and I were walking down a corridor when the voice spoke over the intercom. We had left the room quiet some time ago, to my upset. I wanted to just keep watching the sun, but then that was because I knew what was going to happen. I didn't want to change history, just me being here has already messed it up. I looked to the Doctor, "So, 'guests' as in other aliens, correct?"

"Yep," the Doctor said.

"And they're here too…" I let my sentence trail so the Doctor could fill it in.

The Doctor opened a door with his sonic screwdriver saying, "It's not really a spaceship. More like an observation deck. The great and the good are gathering to watch the planet burn."

"For fun?" I frowned as the Doctor nodded. "That sucks. But you come for the history right?" The Doctor smiled. "The sun expanding takes hundreds of years, right?"

"Millions," The Doctor corrected me. "But the planet's now property of the National Trust. They've been keeping it preserved. See down there?" He pointed out of the window at tiny glints of light orbiting the Earth. "Gravity satellite. That's holding back the sun."

I peered out of the window at Earth. "The planet looks the same as ever. I thought the continents shifted and things."

"They did, and the trust shifted them back. That's a classic Earth. But now the money's run out, nature takes over!"

"How long has it got?" I asked.

The Doctor looked at his watch, "About half an hour. And the planet gets roasted."

I frowned at him, "It's a little creepy how giddy you just sounded." I paused. "And everyone on Earth is gone correct?"

The Doctor nodded saying, "It's empty! They're all gone. All left." I continued to look at the window with a small frown. "What?" the Doctor asked.

I shrugged, "I suppose I just realized how _small_ and insignificant I really am compared to the Earth dying, compared to everyone coming here."

"You aren't insignificant Faline," he told me. I smiled at the Doctor.

The Steward hurried towards us breaking our little 'moment'. "Who the hell are you?" he demanded.

"Oh! That's nice, thanks," the Doctor said sarcastically.

"But how did you get in? This is a maximum hospitality zone. The guests have disembarked! They're on their way any second now!" The Steward said.

"That's me, I'm a guest, look! I've got an invitation!" He flashed the small leather wallet containing his psychic paper at the Steward. "Look, there you see? It's fine, see? The Doctor, plus one. I'm the Doctor," He motioned to me, "And this is Faline Marks. She's my plus one. That all right?"

"Well... obviously," the Steward said. The Doctor grinned. "Apologies, et cetera. If you're on-board, we'd better start. Enjoy." The Doctor nodded at him and pocketed the paper, seeing as I already knew what it was and that I couldn't see it. The steward now spoke through a microphone at the other end of the suite. "We have in attendance, the Doctor and Faline Marks. Thank you! All staff to their positions." He clapped his hands and a lot of little blue people, or rather the staff, started scurrying around. "Hurry now! Thank you, as quick as we can! Come along, come along! And now, might I introduce the next honored guest, representing the forest of Cheem, we have Trees. Namely, Jabe, Lute and Coffa." Jabe, Lute and Coffa walk through the doors as they opened for them. "There will be an exchange of gifts representing peace. If you can keep the room circulating, thank-you. Next, from the solicitors Jolco and Jolco, the Moxx of Balhoon." The Doctor smiled cheerily, as I just watched, amazed. Seeing all this on the television was one thing, but it real life it truly was amazing. "And next, from Financial Family Seven, we have the Adherents of the Repeated Mean." The Doctor chuckled at the look on my face. "The inventors of hyposlip travel systems, the brothers Hop Pyleen. Thank you!" Enter new aliens. "Cal 'Spark Plug'." Enter new aliens. "Mr. and Mrs. Pakoo." Enter new aliens. "The Ambassadors from the City State of Binding Light."

Jabe approached the Doctor. Either side of her, her companions are holding plant trays with little shoots in them. "The Gift of Peace." She took a cutting, handed it to the Doctor. "I bring you a cutting of my Grandfather."

"Thank you!" He transferred the cutting into my hands, oh great I get to be the caddy girl. "Yes, gifts... erm..." He cleared his throat and started feeling his jacket for something, finding nothing, he says- "I give you in return, air from my lungs." He blew gently onto Jabe's face, who closed her eyes briefly.

"How... intimate," Jabe said softly.

The Doctor returned flirtatiously, "There's more where that came from."

Jabe countered with, "I bet there is..."

I smiled weakly at Jabe, she truly was beautiful. Maybe, just maybe I could save her. Tears gathered in the corners of my eyes at the thought. That would be wonderful to have a purpose, to save Jabe even if I had to go in her place.

"Sponsor of the main event, please welcome the Face of Bo," the steward said. I straightened up at the name and smiled brightly. A huge head in an equally huge jar is wheeled through the doors. JACK! I practically bounced in my spot. I _had_ to talk to him, I had to give his glass a hug, kiss, something. He may be known as the Face of Bo now but no matter what he was still Jack. My smile melted slightly, Jack is still alive. What happens to ensure he's still alive if Rose isn't here now?

The Moxx of Balhoon approached the Doctor and I. "The Moxx of Balhoon," the Doctor greeted.

"My felicitations on this historical happenstance. I give you the gift of bodily saliva," He spit at me, but I turned my head slightly causing the spit to hit my cheek rather than my eye like it was suppose to.

The Doctor laughed, "Thank you very much." I rubbed the spit off my cheek. Next, the Adherents of the Repeated Mean approach us. "Ah! The Adherents of the Repeated Mean. I bring you air from my lungs." He breathed heavily over them all.

One of the Adherents spoke, "A gift of peace in all good faith." He held out a large silver egg, which the Doctor took, threw up into the air, catches, and handed to me. I frowned looking at the gift and at them. Oh god, this was terrifying to hold something I knew to be so dangerous.

"And last but not least," the steward spoke, "Our very special guest. Ladies and Gentlemen, and Trees and Multiforms. Consider the Earth below. In memory of this dying world, we call forth The Last Human." The Doctor looked at me to see my reaction. The sliding doors open and what looks like a vertical trampoline made of human skin is wheeled through. It had eyes and a mouth, and wore lipstick. "The Lady Cassandra O'Brien Dot Delta Seventeen."

Cassandra spoke saying, "Oh, now, don't stare. I know, I know it's shocking, isn't it? I've had my chin completely taken away and look at the difference! Look how thin I am." The Doctor laughed silently but heartily and looked at me, smiling as he saw my frown. "Thin and dainty! I don't look a day over two thousand. Moisturize me, moisturize me." One of the two men in white body suits who wheeled her in was holding a canister, which he sprayed onto Cassandra. "Truly, I am The Last Human." I crept closer for a better look. "My father was a Texan. My mother was from the Arctic Desert. They were born on the Earth and were the last to be buried in the soil." I walked around to the other side of Cassandra, to get a good view of her from all angels. She was completely flat. Cassandra continued, "I have come to honor them and..." she sniffled "...say goodbye. Oh, no tears." A bodyguard wiped her eyes. "No tears. I'm sorry. But behold! I bring gifts. From Earth itself - the last remaining ostrich egg." One of the staff came in and displayed the egg to the room. "Legend says it had a wingspan of 50 feet and blew fire from its nostrils." I rolled my eyes. "Or was that my third husband?" The Doctor laughed. I sighed heavily looking away from the flattened _human_, Cassandra wasn't classified as a human she was, to quote Rose, 'A Bitchy Trampoline'. "Who knows! Oh don't laugh. I'll get laughter lines!" She laughed and mumbled to herself for a few seconds. Behind her, a large jukebox was wheeled into the room. "And here, another rarity. According to the archives, this was called an iPod. It stores classical music from humanity's greatest composers. Play on!" Cassandra cried.

One of the staff presses a button and a record falls into place. The 'iPod' starts playing Tainted Love by Soft Cell. I'm slightly surprised that I remembered that after I looked it up when I didn't recognize the song after I had watched the show. The Doctor bopped around appreciatively.

The steward spoke out to them all, "Refreshments will now be served. Earth Death in 30 minutes."

I rolled my eyes after seeing the Doctor and walked to the Face of Bo with a smile. "Hello," I spoke to him.

The Face chuckled inside my head, well that answers the question on how in the hell he was going to answer me. "**It seams that the Doctor's companion has come to see me.**" I tilted my head. "**Hello Faline, how have you been since I last saw you?**"

I shook my head, "I don't know. I haven't seen you yet, either way it would be a spoiler." The Face chuckled. "So you know who I am, clearly you know that I know who _you_ are."

He smiled, "**That I do.**" He then gave a small frown, "**Promise me something.**"

I tilted my head, "What?"

The Face of Bo nodded towards the Doctor, "**Take care of him Faline. You told me how he acted when Rose left, don't leave him like she would have.**"

I smiled, "I don't plan to and I'd like to think that when the time come's I'd know what to do."

Bo's face bobbed as he chuckled, "**Yes you would.**"

"Faline," the Doctor called making me turn to him as he came towards us. "There you are, I wondered where you went." he then smiled to Bo. "Hello there." He looked between the two of us, "You know who he is?"

I smiled, "Of course, he's the Face of Bo. Someone as important as him can't be forgotten." The Doctor nodded slightly. "Can we go back to the observation room?" I asked.

The Doctor nodded and pulled me along back to the observation room, but Jabe stopped us. "Doctor?" She snapped a photo of us when we paused. "Thank you." The Doctor and I proceeded on. Hmm, I wonder what her little device would say about me. We walked to the viewing deck and I immediately rushed down the steps and sat on them, looking at the Earth.

The Doctor sat beside me, "What do you think, then?"

I smiled, "It's wonderful. I mean, I know that around you nothing can stay as perfect as it is now, but being here is like nothing that I've ever even _dreamt_ of." We were quiet for a long moment before I asked, "Would it be rude of me to ask something about your home?"

The Doctor was quiet a long moment before saying, "It depends what you ask."

"I just want to know where your planet came into existence in regards to the Earth, like a generalized direction."

"Why would you want to know that?" he asked.

I shrugged looking at him, "It's another world, and I think that talking about something helps." I laughed slightly, "Listen to me, _talking about something helps_. How can I say that when I haven't even said anything about what happened to my family yet?"

The Doctor paused and pointed just past the sun, "It was that way. Far, far away."

I smiled, "And I'm sure that it was more beautiful than any other planet you've been to." He turned to me with a slight frown. "It doesn't matter if you've been to a planet called 'Beautiful Planet' just for it's beauty. Your home will always be beautiful to you." I immediately went into another topic, "So the TARDIS gets into my head and translates speech and writing right?"

"Yeah," the Doctor agreed.

"Could I ever turn it off?" I asked. "Just to hear what the language they speak sounds like. I mean, I've seen you talk to those rhino looking aliens from the Shadow Proclamation and not speak English. So is it possible?"

The Doctor shook his head, "No. I have no control over that, the TARDIS does. I doubt that it's going to just turn on and off."

I nodded, "Okay. Another question, are you speaking English or another language?"

The Doctor laughed, "English."

A computerized voice then spoke, "Earth Death in 20 minutes. Earth Death in 20 minutes."

After a few moments, I pulled my phone out. "I remember this bit from when I watched the show," I handed the Doctor my phone, "Fix it?"

"Tell you what..." He took the phone from me. "With a little bit of jiggery pokery..." He took the back off the phone.

I smirked, "Is that a technical term, 'jiggery pokery'?"

The Doctor smirked, "Yeah, I came first in jiggery pokery. What about you?"

"Nah, failed hullabaloo," I said.

"Oooh," the Doctor fit in a new battery and handed the phone back to me. "There you go."

I took it with a smile. "Good, later I'll program the TARDIS phone number in here. And then later we can get you a cell phone to fit into your jacket pockets that are bigger on the inside."

"What would I need a phone for?" he asked.

I smiled, "You never know Doctor. For all I know your going to loose me on some big adventure. If that happens I want to be able to call you and yell at you."

The Doctor chuckled as the ship shuddered. The Doctor and I looked rather pleased and curious. "That's not supposed to happen..." The Doctor grabbed my hand, pulling me along the hallway into the main room they had been in before. The guests were completely oblivious to the commotion, chatting to each other.

The Moxx of Balhoon was talking to the Face of Bo, saying, "...this is the Bad Wolf scenario..." while the Doctor and I entered. I was the only one to hear what the Moxx of Balhoon had said. How is 'Bad Wolf' going to come into play? No Faline! Mind on the situation at hand!

"That wasn't a gravity pocket. I know gravity pockets and they don't feel like that," The Doctor fiddled with the control panel next to the door. Jabe approached us. "What do you think, Jabe?" he asked her. "Listened to the engines - they pitched up about 30 hertz, is that dodgy or what?"

Jabe said, "It's the sound of metal, it doesn't make any sense to me."

"Where's the engine room?" he asked.

"I don't know..." Jabe said. "But there's a maintenance duct just behind my suite. I could show you. And..." she gestured me. "...your wife."

The Doctor looked at me and said, "She's not my wife."

"Partner?"

"No."

"Concubine?"

"Nope."

Jabe looked at me more closely. "Prostitute..."

I glared at her, "Alight fine whatever. You two just leave. It's not like one can be any of those things when they've never been in a relationship before." The Doctor looked a little reluctant to leave me alone, "Don't worry. I'm going to go insult Cassandra and then spend some nice time with the Face of Bo. You two go and have fun with your little adventure."

"Don't start a fight," he told me.

I laughed, "Doctor you have _no_ idea."

The Doctor watched me for half a second before offering an arm to Jabe, "I'm all yours."

"Now don't do anything I wouldn't do Doctor!" I yelled to him. He turned and grinned at me.

The computerized voice called out, "Earth Death in 15 minutes. Earth Death in 15 minutes."

I turned and began to walk to Cassandra, who was away from her minions. She was looking out the window. As I approached she began to talk like I wanted to actually hear what she had to say, "Soon, the sun will blossom into a red giant, and my home will die. That's where I used to live, when I was a little boy. Down there. Mummy and Daddy had a little house built into the side of the Los Angeles Crevice." She sighed. "I had such fun." I was silent and she continued, "They say Mankind has touched every star in the sky," at that I instinctively looked out at the stars in the sky.

"So, you're NOT the last human." I said, not that she could be considered human.

"I am the last PURE human. The others... mingled." A disgusted look crossed her face. "Oh, they call themselves 'New Humans' and 'Proto-humans' and 'Digi-humans' even 'Human-ish' but you know what I call them?" She lowered her voice to a whisper. "Mongrels."

I rolled my eyes, "Right, and you stayed behind."

"I kept myself pure," Cassandra said like she was happy with herself, like it was something that made her special.

I then asked the question that had been on, more than likely, everyone's mind, "How many operations have you had?"

Cassandra seamed proud as she said, "708. Next week, its 709, I'm having my blood bleached. Is that why you wanted a word? You could be flatter, my dear. You've got a little bit of a chin poking out."

"I'd rather die," I said.

Cassandra tried to convince her, "Honestly, it doesn't hurt—"

"No, I mean it. I'd rather die. I'm happy with how I look for once in my life; I am _not_ turning myself into something that probably can't even feel. You, Cassandra, are nothing more than a 'bitchy trampoline'." I moved to stand in front of her. "And I hope you remember that."

"Oh well. What do you know."

"I was born on that planet. And so was my mum, and so was my dad and that makes me officially the last human being in this room, 'cause you're not human. You've had it all nipped and tucked and flattened till there's nothing left. Anything human has been thrown away. You're just skin, Cassandra. Lipstick and skin. Nice chat." I walked off. I planned to make my way to see the Face of Bo. The Adherents of the Repeated Mean were coming from the other end of the hall. I smiled at them, but the front one struck me across the head knocking me unconscious.

-x-x-x-

I groaned in pain as I slowly began to wake up, Britney Spears' 'Toxic' blasting though the speakers. God, why couldn't Cassandra play something better than this crap? I find it odd that I hate her earlier songs but I don't mind the ones she sang after going ape shit. I opened my blue eyes to see I was back in the observation room. "Well shit," I muttered to myself. I pulled my weak body into a stand. My attention turned to the door as I tried to open it. I did anything I could think of, walking back and forth, trying to pry it open, I even used voice commands.

The computerized voice began to speak the words I was dreading. "Sunfilter descending. Sunfilter descending." I spun around to see the very tip of the glass shine with light as the Sunfilter descends.

I turned back to the door and began slamming my hands against it, "Let me out!"

"Sunfilter descending," the voice chanted.

"Let me out! Let me out!" I screamed hoping that someone would hear me and be able to get me out.

I heard the Doctor's voice through the door as he asked, "Anyone in there?"

"Doctor!" I yelled.

I could practically hear the Doctor roll his eyes as he said, "Oh, well, it would be you."

"Complain later!" I growled. "Just open the damn door! Please Doctor!"

"Hold on! Give us two ticks!"

My eyes traveled around the whole room. Everywhere the light touched it burned.

The computerized voice continued to say, "Sunfilter descending. Sunfilter descending," before switching over to saying, "Sunfilter rising. Sunfilter rising," as it did just that. I sighed in relief, but that relief was short lived as the computerized voice switched over again. "Sunfilter rising... Sunfilter descending."

"This is just what we need," I could barely hear the Doctor. "The computer's getting clever."

I slammed my hand against the door. "Doctor, please! Open the door!"

"Hang on!" he told me. The light was slowly moving down the wall, getting too close for comfort. I rushed down the stairs and flattened myself against the floor. The only thing I could think of to protect myself.

"Sunfilter descending. Sunfilter descending." The computerized voice said before suddenly changing to, "Sunfilter rising. Sunfilter rising."

"Faline!" the Doctor's voice called as the doors opened. I lay still looking at the floor. "Faline, are you alright?"

I sat up, pushing my hair out of my face. "The door opened," I whispered.

"What?" he asked.

"The door opened, why did it open?" I looked him in the eye saying, "The lock melted." Turning I looked past Jabe and at the doors. "So why'd it op-" I quickly turned to Jabe and jumped up. "I know why." I turned to the Doctor and said, "We have to get to the main room. Call _everyone_ there, workers, guests. Everyone."

"Faline," the Doctor said. "Calm down."

I smiled at him, "Can't stop because of little hiccups Doctor. If we did that then we would have died in London."

The Doctor smiled at me, "Brilliant you are."

I returned his smile with one of my own as the computerized voice called, "Earth Death in 5 minutes."

-x-x-x-

Jabe stood looking down at the same hand held computer she used to scan us, "The metal machine confirms. The spider devices have infiltrated the whole of platform one."

Cassandra's eyes widened. "How's that possible? Our private rooms are protected by a code wall. Moisturize me, moisturize me." Her minions sprayed her down. I rolled my eyes from my place beside the Face of Bo. When I had entered her practically commanded me to come stand beside him. I wasn't going to turn him down. The Doctor took the destabilized spider out of Jabe's hand.

"Summon the Steward!" the Moxx of Balhoon said.

Jabe frowned saying, "I'm afraid the Steward is dead."

There was a general gasp in shock. Immediately the Moxx of Balhoon asked, "Who killed him?"

Cassandra then began to speak, "This whole event was sponsored by the Face of Bo! He invited us!" I stood protectively in front of the Face of Bo as he shook his head. There was no way that she was going to be aloud to do _anything_ involving him, not if I had a say in it. "Talk to the face! Talk to the face!"

"Easy way of finding out," the Doctor said. "Someone bought a little pet on board." He showed us the all the reactivated spider. "Let's send him back to Master." He placed the spider down on the floor. The spider scuttled along to Cassandra and looked up at her. Cassandra looked shifty for a moment, but the spider moved on to the feet of the Adherents of the Repeated Mean.

"The Adherents of the Repeated Mean. J'accuse!" Cassandra said.

I rolled my eyes, "Shut up."

The Doctor looked at me for a moment before saying, "That's all very well, and really kind of obvious, but if you stop and think about it..." The Doctor walked towards the Adherents of the Repeated Mean. One of them tried to strike him, but the Doctor caught its arm and ripped it off. "A Repeated Mean is just an idea. And that's all they are. An idea." He ripped a wire out of the arm and all of the Adherents of the Repeated Mean crumbled into a bundle of black cloaks. Everyone gasped. Cassandra rolled her eyes. "Remote controlled Droids. Nice little cover for the real troublemaker. Go on, Jimbo!" He nudged the spider with his foot. "Go home!" The spider ambled back over to Cassandra.

Cassandra glared and said, "I bet you were the school swot and never got kissed." The Face of Bo chuckled behind me and I nudged his casing with my foot as the Doctor raised his eyebrows. "At arms!" Cassandra growled. The two bodyguards with canisters on either side of her rose their canisters.

The Doctor mockingly asked, "What are you going to do, moisturize me?"

"With acid. Oh, too late anyway. My spiders have control of the mainframe. Oh, you all carried them as gifts, tax free, past every code wall. I'm not just as pretty face."

"Sabotaging a ship while you're still inside it? How stupid's that?"

If she still had shoulders I'm sure Cassandra would have shrugged. "I'd hoped to manufacture a hostage situation with myself as one of the victims. The compensation would have been enormous."

The Doctor gave a slight glare as he said, "Five billion years and it still comes down to money."

"Do you think it's cheap, looking like this? Flatness costs a fortune. I am The Last Human, Doctor. Me. Not that freaky little kid of yours." My glare darkened.

"Arrest her!" the Moxx of Balhoun cried.

Cassandra glared at him, "Oh, shut it, pixie. I've still got my final option."

The computerized voice cut through her speech, "Earth Death in 3 minutes."

Cassandra smiled, "And here it comes. You're just as useful dead, all of you. I have shares in your rival companies and they'll triple in price as soon as you're dead. My spiders are primed and ready to destroy the safety systems. How did that old Earth song go? "Burn, baby, burn.""

"Then you'll burn with us," Jabe said.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I know the use of teleportation is strictly forbidden, but... I'm such a naughty thing. Spiders - activate." There were a series of explosions around the ship and my body shook. The Face of Bo made a soft shhing noise and I turned to give him a smile in thanks for comforting me. "Force fields gone with the planet about to explode. At least it'll be quick. Just like my fifth husband." She giggled. "Oh, shame on me. Buh-bye, darlings! Buh-bye, my darlings..." She and her bodyguards teleported out.

The computerized voice called, "Heat levels rising."

"Reset the computer!" the Moxx of Balhoun cried.

Jabe slightly shook her head, "Only the Steward would know how."

"No," the Doctor said. "We can do it by hand. There must be a system restore switch. Jabe, come on."

"**Faline,**" the Face of Bo said causing me to turn to him. "**Why do you think you're here?**"

The Doctor and Jabe made to leave the room when I called out to them after thinking about what the Face of Bo said for a spilt second, "No."

"Faline," the Doctor said turning to me. "Now isn't the-"

"But it is Doctor," I told him as I ran over. I then spoke to him in a low voice. "The computer said that heat levels were rising, _in here_. Imagine how it would be for Jabe if you went down there with her. She's basically made of wood, isn't she?" The Doctor looked back at Jabe my eyes too went to her. "Please Doctor. I'd like to believe that _this_ is why the door opened after the lock melted. Maybe this is why I'm here. I know about fixed points Doctor. I also know that this isn't one of them."

The Doctor was silent a moment before turning to Jabe and saying, "Change of plans. You stay here and Faline will come with me."

Jabe frowned, "Why?"

I quickly answered, "I can see the future. It doesn't involve you being down there. Just stay here Jabe, please."

Jabe looked at me for a long moment before nodding. "Alright," she said. "Be safe."

The Doctor took my hand and began to pull me through the halls to get to the maintenance corridors. As we ran the computerized voice continued to give us warnings, "Earth Death in 2 minutes. Earth Death in 2 minutes." Not too long after we also heard, "Heat levels - critical. Heat levels - critical."

The Doctor pulled me into the ventilation chamber. "Oh." The Doctor said. "And guess where the switch is." Large fans separated us from our goal, the large switch that would save all of our lives.

"Heat levels - rising. Heat levels – rising," the computer cried. I could tell they were thank you very much. It was getting harder and harder for me to breath. Heat was never something I could take well. The Doctor pulled down the lever to our right and the fans slowed down. "External temperature - 5 thousand degrees." As soon as the Doctor let go of the lever, the fans started to speed up again.

I smiled at the Doctor and nudged him aside, ignoring the burning metal as I pushed the handle down. The fans slowed down. "Go Doctor," I told him. "Save us all." He grinned at me, I could practically see in his eyes why I didn't want Jabe to be down here. Why it killed me in the first place that she was down here with the Doctor.

"Heat levels - rising. Heat levels – rising," the computerized voice called. The Doctor rushed forward to the first fan. "Heat levels - hazardous. Heat levels – hazardous." The Doctor dodged the first fan and ran underneath it. He looked anxiously up at the next one. I looked worriedly between the Doctor and my burning hands. It stung to keep my hands on the bar, but I knew that I couldn't even move my hands or else the lever would move and the Doctor would be killed. I looked up and met eyes with the Doctor. I gave him a, what I believed to be, reassuring smile. "Heat levels - critical. Heat levels - critical." The Doctor dodged under the second fan. The Doctor made it to the third fan before I realized my hands began to slip slightly. I looked down only to see my hands literally burning, and I've been burnt before. Its not the best experience to go through, especially on something as delicate as hands. I looked at the Doctor. Please hurry. "Planet explodes in 10... 9... 8... 7... 6... 5... 4..." The Doctor stepped calmly through the last fan. He then made a mad dash to the switch, pulling it down.

"Raise shields!" the Doctor yelled. Clearly we didn't die, so the Doctor began to make his way back. I was able to let go of the lever when he reached our side. He smiled at me. "Brilliant Faline."

I gave a slight smile, trying to ignore the pain in my hands. When I pried them away from the metal, skin began to peal off in layers. "Ya Doctor," I said and I pulled my hands to my chest.

The Doctor looked at my hands and frowned, seeing the brightened pink appendages covered in blisters and torn skin. "Your hands…"

"Ya," I nodded. "You have something on the TARDIS to help after we deal with everyone upstairs right? Please say you do because my hands kill right now."

The Doctor took my wrist rather than my hand and pulled me back upstairs to the observation gallery. All the aliens are sitting around, wounded or dead. Instantly my eyes searched the room for Jabe and I saw her with her companions, the wooden alien trying to rehydrate. I glanced at the Doctor's sturn face when he let go of my wrist. "You all right?" I asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm full of ideas, I'm bristling with them. Idea number one - teleportation through five thousand degrees needs some kind of feed. Idea number two - this feed must be hidden nearby." The Doctor strode over to the ostrich egg, broke it open and the teleportation feed fell out. He picked it up. "Idea number three - if you're as clever as me, then a teleportation feed can be reversed." He twisted the feed.

Cassandra appeared before them, apparently in the middle of gloating. "Ah, you should have seen their little alien faces." She noticed her new surroundings. "Oh."

"The Last Human," the Doctor said.

A flustered Cassandra spoke, "So. You passed my little test. Bravo. This makes you eligible to join the er... the human club."

I glared at the _human_, "People have died, Cassandra. You murdered them."

"That depends on your definition of 'people'. And that's enough of a technicality to keep your lawyers dizzy for centuries." Cassandra said. "Take me to court then, Doctor! And watch me smile, and cry, and flutter..."

"And creak?" the Doctor asked pointing out the noise that Cassandra had yet to realize.

Cassandra sounded surprised as she asked, "And what?"

"Creak! You're creaking."

Cassandra's skin was tightening. Her eyes were becoming bloodshot and she was getting whiter and whiter.

Cassandra panicked, "What? Ah! Ah! I'm drying out! Oh, sweet heavens! Moisturize me! Moisturize me! Where are my surgeons? My lovely boys! It's too hot!" She began to get covered in red blotches similar to my hands.

"You raised the temperature," the Doctor pointed out.

Cassandra cried out in a terrified, pathetic voice, "Have pity! Moisturize me! Oh, Doctor!"

The Doctor's didn't turn away as he said, "Everything has its time and everything dies." I however couldn't watch Cassandra die, no matter how coldhearted she was. I turned away, pressing my face into the Doctor's arm with my fingers, being only pink and slightly painful, wrapping around his own.

Cassandra cried out as she shriveled up, "I'm... too... young!" She exploded. The Doctor looked completely cold and not remotely fazed. He left the room pulling me with him.

The Doctor finally stopped in one of the abandoned corridors. He held my hands up and flipped them over, palm side facing upwards. I watched as he pulled out the sonic screwdriver and began to scan my hands. The dull green light actually felt soothing on my hands, like he was rubbing cold aloe on mild sunburn. I smiled at the Doctor, "Thank you," I told him. "And I'm sorry that I practically used you as a shield against Cassandra's death. I just couldn't watch even though I knew it was coming."

The Doctor nodded, "It's fine Faline. There's nothing to be sorry about, and seeing as it was partially my fault for your hands there is nothing to be thankful for. I'm fixing my mistake."

I smiled and joked, "The Doctor doesn't make mistakes." My expression turned serious, "And my hands burning was my own fault. Don't worry about it."

I smiled and then nodded back the way they came, "Come on. I want to see how the Face of Bo is doing before he leaves."

The Doctor rolled his eyes as they walked back down the hall, with me following. "I don't see what he's so important for."

I laughed and said, "When you know who the Face of Bo is, and then you'll understand my need to know how he's doing."

I was able to catch up with the Face of Bo on his way out, the Doctor stayed back so our conversation could be private. "Hey," I said catching his attention. "How are you doing?"

He gave me a small smile, "**I could be better.**" He paused seeing my burnt hands. "**Come closer.**" I did as he asked. "**Show me your hands.**" I went up to his encasement and showed him my hands. "**What happened?**"

"It's an occupational hazard when traveling with the Doctor," I said. "Every companion ends up hurt. But it's worth it compared to all the good you can do for the little sacrifices."

The Face of Bo smiled with a slight nod, "**You never change.**"

I laughed, "Is that good or bad?" The Face of Bo chuckled. I glanced back to the Doctor only to see him nod his head towards where the TARDIS resided. "I have to go now," I told him. "But until next time okay?"

He gave a chuckle, "**Of course.**" His attendants led him out and I retuned to the Doctor.

The Doctor led me to the TARDIS and brought me inside. "Sit," he told me as he went around the console looking for something. I sat down in the pilot seat and waited for him. The Doctor returned with a vile of green liquid. "This will heal the burns you have until its nothing more than a mild sunburn." He poured it on my hands and brought my hands together, making me rub the green liquid all over my hands. The green turned clear and then completely disappeared into my skin. I watched, as the pink turned to a lighter shade and the skin stich together again.

"Thank you Doctor," I said.

The Doctor smiled at me a moment, "There's somewhere I want to take you."

I nodded, "Sure thing."

The TARDIS rattled and shook as it traveled through time and space. Finally it stopped and I stepped out of the TARDIS looking at all the crowds and seeing them in a new light.

A Big Issue Seller called out, "Big issue!"

"You think it'll last forever," the Doctor told me. "People, and cars and concrete. But it won't. One day, it's all gone. Even the sky." The two of us looked at the sky. After a moment the Doctor continued, "Our planet's gone." I turned to look at him. This is the first time he's mentioned his home to me, even though I knew I let him continue. I held his hand as he continued, "It's dead. It burned like the Earth. It's just rocks and dust. Before it's time. There was a war." He paused. "I'm a Time Lord. I'm the last of the Time Lords. They're all gone. I'm the only survivor." He paused again. "I'm left travelling on my own because there's no one else."

"There's me..." I told him with a smile

"You've seen how dangerous it is. Do you want to go home?" he asked.

I looked at them for a few seconds. "I don't know. I want..." I sniffed the air. "Oh! Can you smell French fries? No. _Chips_?"

He laughed, "Yeah. Yeah!" the Doctor said.

"I want chips," I stated.

The Doctor smiled, "Me too."

I smiled, "Right then, before you get me back in that box, chips it is, and you can pay."

"No money." The Doctor said.

I laughed, "What sort of date are you? Come on then, _chips_ are on me." He smiled at me, delighted. "We've only got five billion years before the stores close..."

We walked down the street together laughing, the Doctor and I holding hands.

**END**


	3. 1x03

**1x03 "The Unquiet Dead"**

Inside the TARDIS, it is mayhem. The whole ship is shaking and alarms are going off. I was _trying_ to help the Doctor fly his beautiful TARDIS. The key word is _trying_.

The Doctor yelled to me and pointed to a lever, "Hold that one down!"

I frowned at the lever I was already holding down and said, "I'm HOLDING this one down!"

"Well, hold them BOTH down!" he commanded.

"It's not going to work!" I protested.

The Doctor frowned, "Oi! I promised you a time machine and that's what you're getting. Now, you've seen the future - let's have a look at the past. 1860. How does 1860 sound?"

"What happened in 1860?" I asked. I was never good at American history, let along the history of Britain.

"Thankfully not the Great Stink of 1858," The Doctor joked. "I don't know, let's find out. Hold on, here we go!"

The TARDIS screeched through the time vortex. It only took a matter of seconds for the TARDIS to materialize on a deserted street. The controls were steaming and both the Doctor and I were lying on the floor laughing.

"Awesome!" I said as I pulled myself from the ground.

"You're telling me!" the Doctor said. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah. I think so!" I told him. "Nothing broken... did we make it? Where are we?"

The Doctor studied the screen before saying happily, "I did it! Give the man a medal. Earth - Naples - December 24th, 1860."

I laughed, "Are you positive?"

"What?" the Doctor asked.

"Well you've never been one to be able to tell where and when you are until your out there in the real world. I'm not trying to insult the TARDIS, but she isn't always telling the truth when you look at the screens." I smiled, "Not that it matters much anyways. So, it's Christmas outside?"

The Doctor gestured towards the door. "I find it strange that you know all of this, but yes. It's Christmas and all yours."

"Wow, it's Christmas. 1860. It happens once. Just once, and it's gone. It's finished. It'll never happen again. Except for you." I studied him intently. "You can go back and see days that are dead and gone and a hundred thousand sunsets ago... no wonder you never stay still..."

"Not a bad life," he commented.

"Better with two," I said. We grinned at each other for a few moments. I then rushed to the door, excited at the idea of time travel. "Come on then!"

The Doctor, however, stopped me. "Oi, oi, oi! Where do you think you're going?"

"1860!" I smiled.

"Go out there dressed like that, you'll start a riot, Barbarella! There's a wardrobe through there. First left, second right, third on the left, go straight ahead, under the stairs, past the bins, it's the fifth door on your left. Hurry up!" The Doctor told me.

I smiled and ran where he told me, not that I really paid much attention, but the hallways I needed to go down were lit up. I laughed, "Thank you," I told the TARDIS. It was easy to understand when the Doctor talked to the TARDIS and spent time with her. She really was alive and ready to do anything for her Doctor. I just hope she likes me too. "God, I'm such a people pleaser…" I muttered to myself. "Umm… a Time and Relative Dimension in Space pleaser." I opened the door to the dressing room, only to see piles upon piles of clothes. "Wow, it's like every woman's dream closet," I said. I walked through the hangers of clothes, trying to find something suitable for Earth in 1860.

Finally I was able to find something that seamed to match the timeline. It was a navy blue strapless gown with silver sequins across the front aiming in a triangle to my belly button. There were small clusters of sequins on the skirt, where the fabric bunched slightly. On the same hanger was a black crop jacket with ruffles down the front. Immediately I grabbed the dress and went into the changing room. I changed into the dress and went in search for shoes. I picked a pair of black converse, knowing that it's a rare occasion that you don't run into trouble with the Doctor. I pulled the ponytail from my wrist and brought my hair into a messy bun that, if I could say so, looked very nice. I smiled at my reflection on the back of the dressing room door, as I got ready to leave. "Very nice," I commented. I left the dressing room and went back to the control room, shawl in hand.

"Blimey!" the Doctor said when I came into his line of sight.

"Don't laugh!" I pleaded as I pulled on the crop jacket. I was very insecure about what others thought of my appearance. I didn't think I did the dress justice but I wasn't going to find another one as perfect as this so I just went along with it.

"You look beautiful…" he said sincerely before adding in, "… considering."

I pouted, already seeing the joking demeanor in his eyes. "Considering what?" I asked.

"That you're human!" the Doctor said with a bright smile.

"I THINK that's a compliment..." I paused looking at the Doctor. "Aren't you going to change?"

"I've changed my jumper!" he argued. I rolled my eyes. "Come on!" he called as he headed to the door.

I turned and said to the Doctor, "You, stay there! You've done this before. This is mine!" I hurried towards the door and opened it. I looked out onto the _1860_ street. I made one footprint in the untouched snow then withdrew my foot again before I stepped out altogether. The Doctor followed me.

"Ready for this?" the Doctor asked me. I smiled and he offered me his arm. I took it. "Here we go," he said. "History!"

We walked down the street, observing everything - me in amazement and the Doctor with his usual grin on his face. The Doctor walked in another direction, after releasing only I, and she followed. There were carol singers in the background. The Doctor was buying a newspaper, with the seller commenting, in an almost inappropriate way. He unfolded the paper and scanned it.

"I got the flight a bit wrong" the Doctor said.

"I don't care."

"It's not 1860, it's 1869."

"I don't care!" I said.

"And it's not Naples." The Doctor said.

"Still don't care."

"It's Cardiff." he said.

I nodded, "Right..."

Suddenly we heard screaming and knowing the Doctor – "That's more like it!" He tossed the newspaper over his shoulder and ran in the direction of the screaming. He would follow the screaming. I followed. The Doctor lead them to a theatre where they immediately entered, brushing past the people running away, screaming. We watched a gas like substance zoom around.

"Fantastic," the Doctor said. The last of the gas left an elderly woman's mouth and she slumped back in the chair. The Doctor approached an older man with me right behind him. "Did you see where it came from?" he asked him.

"Ah," the man said. "The wag reveals himself, does he? I trust you're satisfied, sir!" The Doctor looked slightly taken aback.

My attention turned elsewhere in the theater. "Hey!" I called. "Leave her alone!" Two people, an older man and a woman my age, were making off with the old woman's body. "Doctor, I'll get 'em!"

The Doctor turned to me calling, "Be careful!"

I just barely heard him as I made my way through the back exit of the theater. By the time I made it to them the older man and the woman had loaded the body into the back of a hearse. "What are you doing?" I asked with wide eyes as I made my way to the vehicle.

"Oh," the girl said, "it's such a tragedy, miss. Don't worry yourself, me and the master," I flinched at the name even though I knew it wasn't _that_ master, "will deal with it." The girl tried to block me from seeing inside the back of the hearse. "The fact is, this poor lady's been taken with the brain fever and we have to get her to the infirmary."

I pushed the girl aside and felt the old woman's forehead. But from the old woman's stillness, ice cold skin, and the fact that she was loaded into the back of a hearse I already had my answer. "She's dead," I quickly pulled my hand away. I mean no disrespect to the dead, but touching her freaks me out. I locked eyes with the girl, "What happened?" Before she had the chance to answer someone, I'd like to assume it was the older man, grabbed me from behind and clamped a tissue over my mouth. I struggled and clawed at the man, only able to feel slightly proud of myself when I scratched part of his face, before I was rendered unconscious.

-x-x-x-

Slowly, but surely, I began to come to. I sat up from the table I lay on, keeping my eyes straight ahead. It hurt too much to look around and try to assess where I was, even though I knew I should. I raised my hand against my head as I stood from the table. My opposite hand kept a tight grip as I wobbled slightly. I frowned, something wasn't right. I took a brief glance around the room before turning my attention back to the only exit. Something about this place gave me the chills, and that wasn't because it was a Funeral Home. I've been to plenty of Funeral Homes before, and none made me feel as strange as this one did. Maybe it's because I'm in a Funeral Home while traveling with the Doctor that made me feel strange. As I made my way to the door I heard something moving behind me. That sudden noise sobered my drunk like state rather quickly. I turned to see a male corpse, making zombie like noises at me. I paled, "You have got to be shitting me." He began to climb out of the coffin. "Shit," I muttered as he took staggering steps towards me. I quickly rushed to the door and tried to open it. I turned my back against the door only to see the old woman from the back of the hearse too rises from the other coffin. "Weapon, weapon," I muttered to myself as I quickly looked around the room. I grabbed the closest thing in reach, which happened to be a vase, and hit it against the male corpse. It didn't seam to do anything to him other than cause him to stumble slightly. I turned back to the door and rattled the handle screaming, "Let me out! Open the door!" No one seamed to hear me so I screamed louder, slamming my clenched fists against the door. "Please, let me out!" I added in kicking. "Let me out! Somebody, open the door! For the love of god! Open the damn door!" The male corpse clamped a hand over my mouth, muffling my screams, though that didn't stop me from struggling.

At that moment, the Doctor finally reached the door and kicked it in. "I think this is MY dance." He releases me from the corpse's grip. I wrapped my arms around his waist, burring my face into his chest. I can handle just about anything, but the feel of the cold, hard skin of a suddenly reanimated corpse terrified me. I'm more scared of this corpse than I was of ghosts taking my soul when my back was turned back when I was in middle school. I was a very paranoid child that watched way too many horror movies.

"It's a prank?" Dickens asked. "It must be. We're under some mesmeric influence."

"No, we're not. The dead are walking." The Doctor said. He grinned down at me, only slightly concerned. "Hi!" he said.

"Hi!" I pulled away and smiled at him, now that the Doctor was here I felt a lot safer. I glanced at the man with the Doctor. "Who's your friend?"

"Charles Dickens," the Doctor said.

"Oh. Okay." I nodded my smile growing. I love 'A Christmas Carol', every version that has come out I've enjoyed.

The Doctor turned to the corpses, "My name's the Doctor. Who are you, then? What do you want?"

"We're failing," the first corpse said. "Open the rift, we're dying. Trapped in this form - cannot sustain - help us."

Both corpses rose their heads to the ceiling. A blue gas left them with a wailing sound and both corpses fell to the floor. I then suddenly spun around; the feeling from before changed slightly as they disappeared but it was still there. I suddenly stopped and shook my head, no one but the Doctor noticed my movements or could see my confusion.

-x-x-x-

The young woman, who's name we now knew to be Gwyneth, began pouring us all tea while I was having a go at the man, known to be called Sneed. "First of all you drug me, then you kidnap me, and don't think I didn't feel your hands go somewhere they shouldn't, you dirty old man." The Doctor sniggered and I turned to him with a pointed finger, "Shut up." I know I was being ridiculous, and I wasn't as mad as I seamed. I was more scared of what happened then anything else.

"I won't be spoken to like this!" Sneed growled.

"Then," I continued not quiet done. "You stuck me in a room full of zombies! And if that isn't enough - you just left! You left me to die! So come on - talk!"

"It's not my fault, it's this house! It always had a reputation. Haunted. But I never had much bother until a few months back. And then the stiffs—" Dickens looks mildly offended as did I so Sneed changed his words. "...the er, dear departed started getting restless."

"Tommyrot," Dickens denied. I smirked at the word.

Sneed defended saying, "You witnessed it! Can't keep the beggars down, sir! They walk. And it's the queerest thing that they hang on to scraps..."

Gwyneth gave the Doctor his tea. "Two sugars, sir, just how you like it." The Doctor looked at her retreating back curiously. I glanced at the two of them only half listening to the other conversation but rather paying close attention to Gwyneth who handed me, my own tea. "Six sugars and a splash of cream, miss." I smiled and nodded to the girl. I've never actually had tea before, but seeing as I was still in London, why not try it? I took a small sip and a smile spread across my face. That was amazing.

"One old fella who used to be a sexton almost walked into his own memorial service!" Sneed said. "Just like the old lady going to your performance, sir! Just as she planned."

"Morbid fancy," Dickens supplied.

"Oh, Charles, you were there," the Doctor said.

"I saw nothing but an illusion," he said.

The Doctor continued, "If you're going to deny it, don't waste my time. Just shut up." Dickens looked highly stunned as the Doctor turned to Sneed. "What about the gas?"

"That's new, sir, never seen anything like that," Sneed said.

"Means it's getting stronger," the Doctor said half talking to himself, half talking to the rest of us. "The rift's getting wider and something's sneaking through."

I frowned slightly, "The rift as in …" I bit my lip, sucking in the lip ring I haven't taken out. I was about to mention Torchwood! The Doctor hasn't officially run into Torchwood yet. Damn me and my knowledge on the Doctor.

"Weak point in time and space," he said. "The connection between this place and another. That's the cause of ghost stories, most of the time."

Sneed with revelation said, "That's how I got the house so cheap." Dickens snuck almost un-noticed from the room, my eyes followed him a moment before I looked back at Sneed. "Stories going back generations. Echoes in the dark. Queer songs in the air and this feeling like a... shadow. Passing over your soul. Mind you, truth be told, it's been good for business. Just what people expect from a gloomy old trade like mine."

At that point I noticed the Doctor had snuck away when I wasn't looking. I turned my attention to Gwyneth only to see her too slip out of the room. I didn't want to be left alone with Sneed so I followed the woman. She was lighting another gas lamp when I came into, what I noticed to be, the little kitchen. I noticed the pile of dishes, and being the designated dishwasher back home I began to wash the dishes.

"Please, Miss!" Gwyneth cried, startling me. "You shouldn't be helping! It's not right!"

I rolled my eyes, "Don't worry about it. Sneed works you to death." I handed her a cloth to dry the dishes. "If you don't mind my asking, how much do you get paid?"

"Eight pound a year, miss," Gwyneth said.

I frowned slightly, calculating how much that was in American currency. "13 dollars?" I asked shocked.

"Dollars?" she questioned.

"I'm …" I couldn't remember what to call it. Colonies, America? "I'm not from London. But, that much?"

Gwyneth smiled as though she were proud, "I know. I would've been happy with six." I didn't bother to say anything about the pay, remembering from what little history I knew, that she got this money along with room and board.

"So, you've gone to school?" I changed the subject.

She frowned at the question, "Of course I did. What do you think I am? An urchin? I went every Sunday. Nice and proper."

"Once a week?" I asked.

She nodded, "We did sums and everything. To be honest, I hated every second."

A smile spread across my face, "Me too."

We both laughed and then Gwyneth spoke, her voice showing that she thought it was completely outrageous, "Don't tell anyone, but one week, I didn't go and ran on the heath all on my own!"

I smiled, "Well I've never skipped out on school. But I'm sure that if I did I'd hang out with my friend Shannon, and all she'd do is talk about boys."

Gwyneth stopped laughing at once and looked scandalized. "Well, I don't know much about that, miss." She turned back to washing up.

I gave her a soft smile, "Come on. I'm sure that there's at least one boy that you fancy." I gave myself kudos for using the word 'fancy'.

Gwyneth was silent for a moment before saying, "There is one lad... the butcher's boy. He comes by every Tuesday. Such a lovely smile on him!"

"A nice smile is always a good thing," I smirked wondering what kind of reaction I would get out of her for my next question. "Bet he's good looking too."

Gwyneth looked completely and utterly flabbergasted before saying, "Well, I have never heard the like!"

I just laughed, with Gwyneth soon joining. "Ask him out! Give him a cup of tea or something, that's a start."

"I swear, it is the strangest thing, miss. You've got all the clothes and the breeding but you talk like some sort of wild thing!"

I shrugged, "I guess I am. I mean, my mother never minded what I did as long as I didn't come home pregnant or with a criminal record." I nudged her, "And maybe that's a good thing. This way I can live through you, get you a little romance into your life Gwen."

"Gwen?" Gwyneth asked and then it hit me where I knew her from. Gwen Cooper, from Torchwood.

I took a deep breath before asking, "Who do you have for family Gwyneth?"

The girl shrugged, "Mr Sneed I suppose. He was very kind to me to take me in. Because I lost my mum and dad to the flu when I was twelve." She frowned, "I did have a little sister though. She went to work for the baker, Mrs Todd. Very nice woman, she is."

I frowned, "I'm sorry Gwyneth. I recently lost my family too. I'm not sure where they've gone, I just … lost them."

"Thank you, miss. And I'm sorry too, miss. But I'll be with them again, one day. Sitting with them in paradise. I should be so blessed. They're waiting for me. Maybe your brothers' are up there waiting for you too, miss."

I nodded with a soft smile, "Maybe." But then I frowned. "Wait a minute, Gwyneth. I don't have any bothers. I had a sister." I then began to remember why Gwyneth was so impotant, she knew things she couldn't like with the Doctor's tea. But, I didn't have any brothers and my mother would have told me any my sister if she had been pregnant any other time, it being impossible for her to have been pregnant when she disappeared, because she had her tubes tied not too long after my sister's birth.

Gwyneth realized what she said and turned quickly back to washing up. "I don't know, Mr. Sneed says I think too much. I'm all alone down here. I bet you've got dozens of servants, haven't you miss."

I laughed slightly, brushing off her earlier comment. "I've never had a servant."

"And you've come such a long way," Gwyneth said.

I tilted my head, "What makes you think so?"

"You're from America. I've seen America in drawings, but never like that." Gwyneth stated at me intently. "All those people rushing about. Half naked, for shame. And the noise... and the metal boxes racing past... and the birds in the sky... they're metal as well. Metal birds with people in them. People flying. And you - you've flown so far, further than anyone! The things you've seen... the darkness... the big bad wolf—" Gwyneth staggered back, fear written across her face. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry, miss!"

I gave her a soft smile as I rubbed her back, "It's alright."

"I can't help it - ever since I was a little girl. My mum said I had the sight. She told me to hide it!"

"But it's getting stronger. More powerful, is that right?" Gwyneth and I both jumped as we turned to see the Doctor standing in the doorway.

"All the time, sir." Gwyneth said. "Every night. Voices in my head."

"You grew up on top of the rift," the Doctor said. "You're part of it. You're the key."

"I've tried to make sense of it, sir. Consulted with spiritualists, table wrappers, all sorts."

"Well, that should help," I said with a soft smile. "You can show us what to do."

"What to do where, miss?"

The Doctor smirked before saying, "We're going to have a séance."

-x-x-x-

We gathered everyone and sat around a table in Sneed's parlor. Gwyneth told them, "This is how Madam Mortlock summons those from the Land of Mists. Down in Mid Town. Come. We must all join hands."

"I can't take part in this," Dickens said getting up.

"Humbug?" the Doctor said. "Come on, open mind."

"This is precisely the sort of cheap mummery I try to un-mask. Séances? Nothing but luminous tambourines and a squeeze box concealed between the knees. This girl knows nothing."

The Doctor told him, "Now, don't antagonize her. I love a happy medium."

I rolled my eyes, "Your so weird Doctor."

He smiled at me and spoke to Dickens. "Come on, we might need you." Dickens sat down again. "Good man. Now, Gwyneth. Reach out."

"Speak to us. Are you there? Spirits? "Dickens rolled his eyes as she continued. "Come. Speak to us that we may relieve your burden." She raised her eyes to the ceiling. A murmuring filled the room, well a murmuring to everyone else. I heard a pounding, a group of screaming voices all calling out at once.

I flinched and tightened my grip on the Doctor's hand. It was like they were all screaming inside my head. What the hell is going on? However, through the screaming I kept my eyes on Gwyneth.

"Nothing can happen," Dickens said. "This is sheer folly."

"Look at her." I said.

"I feel them. I feel them!" Gwyneth said as the gas creatures begin to fill the room.

Again, I flinched. My skin shivered at the feel of these creatures around us, pricking as though pins were pricking me hundreds of times.

"They can't get through the rift," the Doctor said. "Gwyneth, it's not controlling you, you're controlling it. Now look deep. Allow them through."

Gwyneth protested, "I can't!"

"Yes you can," he insisted. "Just believe it. I have faith in you, Gwyneth. Make the link."

Gwyneth looked almost pained. Then suddenly, she lowered her head and opened her eyes. "Yes," she said. Three gaseous figures appeared behind her. Dickens' mouth dropped open.

"Great God," Sneed spoke. "Sprits from the other side!"

"The other side of the universe," the Doctor said.

The gaseous figure in the middle spoke, "Pity us. Pity the Gelth. There is so little time, help us."

"What do you want us to do?" the Doctor asked.

"The rift," the Gelth said. "Take the girls to the rift. Make the bridge." Only the Doctor noticed the mention of 'girls' rather than girl. His grip on my hand tightened as I leaned forward slightly, closing my eyes. My head pounded and my heart thundered in my chest. Why cant the story line just go as planned?

"What for?" he asked.

"We are so very few. The last of our kind. We face extinction."

"Why, what happened?" he asked.

"Once we had a physical form like you," the Gelth's voice darkened a fraction at their next words. "But then the war came."

Dickens asked, "War? What war?"

"The Time War," the Gelth said. I shot my head up and stared wide eyed, my attention turning to the Doctor. "The whole universe convulsed. The Time War raged invisible to smaller species but devastating to higher forms. Our bodies wasted away. We're trapped in this gaseous state."

The Doctor nodded to himself, "So that's why you need the corpses."

"We want to stand tall. To feel the sunlight. To live again. We need a physical form, and your dead are abandoned. They're going to waste, give them to us!"

"But we can't!" I protested without thinking.

"Why not?" the Doctor asked.

"It's not... I mean, it's not..." I tried to reason, or at least understand why I spoke out.

"Not decent? Not polite? It could save their lives," he insisted. They stared at each other for a moment.

"Open the rift. Let the Gelth through. We're dying. Help us. Pity the Gelth!" They disappeared and Gwyneth collapsed forwards onto the table. I gasped as the pain left me and I no longer had to listen to their screams.

"Gwyneth!" I cried as I stood and rushed to the girl's side.

"All true," Dickens said.

I ignored him and said to Gwyneth, "Are you okay?"

"It's all true," Dickens continued.

I turned to the Doctor, "Help me move her." The Time Lord nodded and lifted the girl into his arms. I didn't expect him to be able to lift her like that, but went along with it as I followed him to the couch where he placed her. I knelt beside her and brushed some hair from her forehead. Slowly, Gwyneth's eyes opened. She fidgeted. "It's alright," I told her. "You just sleep."

"But my angels, miss," Gwyneth said. "They came, didn't they? They need me?"

The Doctor moved leaning on a wall just behind me. "They do need you, Gwyneth," he told her. "You're they're only chance of survival." He didn't bother even bringing up the fact that the Gelth mentioned me too.

I glanced at him a moment before standing, "Doctor. I don't think now is the time." The Doctor leaned his head back and sighed. I turned back to Gwyneth and offered her a drink of water. "Drink this," I commanded.

"Well, what did you say, Doctor?" Sneed asked. "Explain it again. What are they?"

"Aliens," he said.

"Like... foreigners, you mean?"

The Doctor nodded, "Pretty foreign, yeah. From up there." He pointed skywards.

"Brecon?" Sneed asked not really getting it.

"Close," the Doctor said trying to explain it. "They've been trying to get through from Brecon to Cardiff but the road's blocked. Only a few can get through and even then they're weak. They can only test drive the bodies for so long, then they have to revert to gas and hide in the pipes."

"Which is why they need the girl," Dickens said.

"They're not having her," I growled. I didn't mean, not ever. But rather, not until she's ready. It was Gwyneth's choice.

"But she can help," the Doctor told me. "Living on the rift, she's become part of it, she can open it up, make a bridge and let them through."

Dickens then said, "Incredible. Ghosts that are not ghosts but beings from another world who can only exist in our world by inhabiting cadavers."

The Doctor nodded, "Good system. It might work."

I frowned as I got up and walked over to the Doctor. "Your going to let them run around inside of dead people?"

"Why not? It's like recycling."

"Those bodies were living people!" I said. "We should respect them even in death!"

"Do you carry a donor card?" the Doctor asked me.

I frowned, "That's not what I'm—"

The Doctor interrupted, "It is different, yeah. It's a different morality. Get used to it or go home."

I glared at him, "You should really understand what I'm saying before you jump to conclusions Doctor. I'm horrible at wording things correctly." I paused. "I just meant, what's someone going to think when they seen dearly departed Aunt Tessa walking around like she just had a cold rather then dying? We're relocating them, right?"

"Oh," The Doctor said before rolling his eyes, "Of course we are."

I nodded, "We don't _use_ her though."

"Don't I get a say, miss?" Gwyneth asked.

Both the Doctor and I turned to look at her. I gave Gwyneth a weak smile, "Yes. Personally I don't want you to do this." Gwyneth opened her mouth to speak. "_But_, I know that it's not my say. I just want _you_ to make the decision. Not anyone else, just you."

Gwyneth gave me a soft smile. "Doctor, what do I have to do?" she asked.

The Doctor glanced at me before telling Gwyneth, "You don't HAVE to do anything."

"They've been singing to me since I was a child. Sent by my mum on a holy mission. So tell me," Gwyneth said as I looked at the other brunette before my eyes moved back to the Doctor.

The Doctor smiled at Gwyneth. "We need to find the rift." He approached Sneed and Dickens. "This house is on a weak spot, so there must be a spot that's weaker than any other. Mr. Sneed. What's the weakest part of this house? The place where most of the ghosts have been seen?"

"That would be the Morgue," Sneed told him.

"Shit," I muttered. I turned to the Doctor and said, "Be prepared to loose circulation in your arm Doctor. Corpses freak me out enough as it is, I don't like them reanimated."

The Doctor smiled and wrapped his arm around mine. "Come on," The Doctor then led us to the Morgue, my hand behind held tightly by the Doctor. "Talk about Bleak House."

"Doctor –" Dickens said. "I think the room is getting colder."

"Here they come," I whispered.

The Gelth flooded into the room. Their leader positioned itself in an archway. It had the voice of a child. "You have come to help! Praise the Doctor! Praise him!" I flinched when they spoke.

"Promise you won't hurt her!" I pleaded. Gwyneth meant so much to me in such a short amount of time. I want to save her from this choice, but it's her own choice.

"Hurry! Please. So little time. Pity the Gelth." The Gelth voice cried.

The Doctor told them, "I'll take you somewhere else after the transfer. Somewhere you can build proper bodies. This isn't a permanent solution, alright?"

"My angels," Gwyneth said. "I can help them live."

"Okay, where's the weak point?" the Doctor asked.

"Here, beneath the arch," the Gelth said.

Gwyneth positioned herself beneath the arch. She then said to herself, "Beneath the arch."

I released the Doctor and rushed to her. "You don't have to do this."

Gwyneth placed her hands on my cheeks. "My angels," she told me.

I gave her a weak smile, "Okay." I then walked back to the Doctor, grabbing his arm.

"Establish the bridge," the Gelth said. "Reach out of the void, let us through!"

"Yes. I can see you! I can see you! Come!"

"Bridgehead establishing," the Gelth said.

"Come! Come to me! Come to this world, poor lost souls!" Gwyneth told them.

"It is begun! The bridge is made!" the Gelth said.

I watched for a moment as Gwyneth's mouth opened and the Gelth poured out of it. It was then that I remembered what happens next. My eyes widened and I tried to bolt forward screaming, "NO DON'T!"

The Doctor grabbed my around the waist as the Gelth cried, "She has given herself to the Gelth!"

"There's rather a lot of them, eh?" Dickens asked ignoring me.

"The bridge is open. We descend." The Gelth cried. Suddenly, the figure became demonic. The gas turned from a blue to red. "The Gelth will come through in force."

Dickens cried out, "You said that you were few in number!"

"A few billion," the Gelth told them. "And all of us in need of corpses." The gaseous creature laughed. "You should have listened to your companion, Doctor."

The Doctor looked down at me as I shook, crying. He realized his mistake immediately, I had known something was wrong and he ignored me, not that I made it apparent that something was wrong. The bodies around them began to rise.

"Gwyneth..." Sneed called. "Stop this! Listen to your master! This has gone far enough. Stop dabbling, child, leave these things alone. I beg of you-"

"Mr. Sneed! Get back!" I cried.

A corpse grabbed Sneed from behind and held him still while another of the Gelth filled his body through his mouth. The Doctor, still holding me, leapt back. Mr. Sneed looked up at them through blank, dead eyes. "I think it's gone a little bit wrong," the Doctor said.

"You think?" I growled while burring my face into his chest as he covered my ears. They were even louder now, their voices and cries stabbed at my mind while pricking my skin.

Sneed began to speak to them, "I have joined the legions of the Gelth. Come. March with us."

"No!" Dickens yelled.

The corpses advanced on the Doctor and I. "We need bodies. All of you. Dead. The human race. Dead." The Gelth said. "And then we will go through the time with your TARDIS!" They were backing us against a dungeon door.

"Gwyneth, stop them!" the Doctor yelled. "Send them back! Now!"

"Three more bodies. Make them vessels for the Gelth." The Gelth chuckled. "And the machine that will help us rule this world!"

"I- I can't! I'm sorry!" Dickens cried. The Doctor looks behind him and spotted the dungeon door. He pushed me in there with him before slamming it shut again so we were both locked in there. "It's too much for me! I'm so—" He jumped and ran from the Morgue as one of the Gelth screeched and swooped at him. The corpses were clambering to get in the dungeon.

"Give yourself to glory. Sacrifice your lives for the Gelth." The Gelth cried.

The Doctor glared at them, "I trusted you. I pitied you!"

"We don't want your pity! We want this world and all its flesh." They were rattling the door.

"Not while I'm alive," the Doctor said.

"Then live no more."

I kept myself pressed against the Doctor, as I shook. "I can die here, can't I?"

"I'm sorry," the Doctor said sadly.

"But it's 1869, how can I die now?" Even though I knew how, I had to ask.

"Time isn't a straight line. It can twist into any shape. You can be born in the 20th century and die in the 19th and it's all my fault. I brought you here." He ran his hand through my hair.

"It's not your fault," I said. "I wanted to come."

"What about me?" he said. "I saw the fall of Troy! World War Five! I pushed boxes at the Boston Tea Party, now I'm going to die in a dungeon!" He then said, horrified. "In Cardiff!"

I laughed slightly before tightening my grip on him. "But we don't just _die_. We'll become a Gelth." I then looked up at the Doctor, "We'll go out fighting, right?"

"Yeah."

"Together?"

"Yeah!" he repeated.

"I'm glad I met you Doctor," I said softly.

At that moment, Dickens rushed into the room. "Doctor! Turn OFF the flame, turn UP the gas! Now fill the room, all of it, now!"

"What're you doing?" the Doctor asked him.

"Turn it all on! Gas the place!" the Dickens yelled. He turned another one on.

"Brilliant. Gas!" the Doctor cried.

I looked between the two, "I'm confused."

Dickens asked the Doctor, "Am I correct, Doctor? These creatures are gaseous!"

"Fill the room with gas, it'll draw them out of the host. Suck them into the air like poison from a wound!" the Doctor explained.

The corpses all decide to turn on Dickens instead. "I hope... oh, Lord. I hope that this theory will be validated soon." He said as the corpses advance dangerously on him. "If not immediately."

"Plenty more!" the Doctor called. He smashed a gas canister against the wall and all the creatures were sucked from the bodies with a scream. He looked down at me, watching as I smiled in slight relief the stabbing turned to hammering.

"It's working," Dickens said. The Doctor and I were free to come out of the dungeon.

"Gwyneth!" I cried. "Send them back! They lied, they're not angels."

Gwyneth simply said, "Liars."

"Look at me," I growled. "If your mother and father could look down and see this, they'd tell you the same. They'd give you the strength." This didn't seam to affect her so I continued my breathing becoming shallow, "Think of your sister Gwyneth. You know that I'm not from here, well let me tell you, I know that Gwen Copper will, your sister's descendent, will live on. Now send them back!" I then took a deep gasp, "I can't breath."

"Charles, get her out," the Doctor told him.

Dickens grabbed my arm, but I shook him off. "I'm not leaving her!" I yelled.

"They're too strong." Gwyneth whimpered.

The Doctor then took over coaching the girl, "Remember that world you saw? Faline's world? All those people - non of it will exist unless you send them back through the rift."

Gwyneth firmly said, "I can't send them back. But I can hold them. Hold them in this place, hold them here. Get out." Her hand went to her apron pocket and she took out a box of matches.

I rushed forwards. "You can't!" I yelled.

"Leave this place!" Gwyneth commanded.

The Doctor grabbed my shoulders. "Faline, get out, go now, I won't leave her while she's still in danger, now go!" Dickens and I left the Morgue. The writer pulled me through the house and outside, where we waited for the Doctor to return. I kept my back to the building, waiting what was to come. I was nocked off my feet as the explosion ripped though the building. I picked myself off the ground and made my away to the Doctor as he too stood.

"She didn't make it," I said simply.

The Doctor shook his head, "I'm sorry. She closed the rift."

"At such a cost. The poor child." Dickens said.

The Doctor told me, "I did try, Faline, but Gwyneth was already dead. She had been for at least five minutes."

I nodded, "She was dead from the minute she stood in that arch."

Dickens then said, "There are more things in Heaven and Earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy. Even for you, Doctor."

"She saved the world," I stated. "A servant girl. No one will ever know." No one will know until I find Gwen Cooper and tell her the truth. Make her proud to be a part of Torchwood.

-x-x-x-

We made our way to the safely parked TARDIS. I smiled as I saw the beauty.

"Right then," the Doctor said to Dickens. "Charlie-boy, I've just got to go into my um... shed. Won't be long!" He fit the key in the lock.

I turned to Dickens and asked, "What're you going to do now?"

"I shall take the mail coach back to London. Quite literally post-haste. This is no time for me to be on my own. I shall spend Christmas with my family and make amends to them. After all I've learned tonight, there can be nothing more vital," he said.

I smiled, "You've cheered up!"

Dickens enthusiastically said, "Exceedingly! This morning, I thought I knew everything in the world and now I know I've just started! All these huge and wonderful notions, Doctor! I'm inspired. I must write about them!"

"Do you think that's wise?" I asked.

"I shall be subtle at first. The Mystery of Edwin Drood still lacks an ending. Perhaps the killer was not the boy's uncle. Perhaps he was not of this earth. The Mystery of Edwin Drood and the Blue Elementals. I can spread the word! Tell the truth!"

"Good luck with it. Nice to meet you." The Doctor shook Dickens' hand. "Fantastic." He turned back to the TARDIS door.

"Bye," I said. "And, thanks." I kissed him on the cheek. Dickens looked taken-aback.

"Oh, my dear- how modern. Thank you, but, I don't understand - in what way is this goodbye? Where are you going?" Dickens asked.

"You'll see. In the shed." The Doctor opened the door of the TARDIS.

"Oh, my soul. Doctor, it's one riddle after another with you. But after all these revelations, there's one mystery you still haven't explained. Answer me this - who are you?"

There was a pause. "Just a friend. Passing through."

"But you have such knowledge of future times. I don't wish to impose on you, but I must ask you. My books. Doctor - do they last?" Dickens asked.

"Oh, yes!" he answered.

"For how long?"

I laughed with a smile saying, "Forever!"

Dickens tried to look pleased and modest at the same time. The Doctor smirked then said, "Right. Shed. Come on, Faline."

We both turn to the door. "In - in the box?" Dickens asked. "The both of you?"

I smiled and walked forward kissing Dickens on the cheek again. I pulled away and said, "Down boy. See ya!" I skipped back to the TARDIS, which the Doctor already occupied. The door closed behind me.

I then asked once the door was closed, "Doesn't that change history if he writes about blue ghosts?"

"In a weeks time it's 1870," the Doctor explained. "And that's the year he dies. Sorry. He'll never get to tell his story." We all looked at the screen where they can see Dickens was still standing outside.

"Oh, no! He was so nice," I said sadly.

"But in your time, he was already dead! We've brought him back to life! He's more alive now than he's ever been, old Charlie-boy." The Doctor paused. "Let's give him one last surprise." He hit a button and the engines revved up. We smiled as we watched Dickens' face when the TARDIS disappears before his eyes.

**END**


	4. 1x04

**1x04 "Aliens of London"**

The TARDIS materialized. I stepped out with the Doctor. We've been traveling together for maybe a week, or at least we've been on seven different adventures. Its hard to tell the normal time when time traveling and having so much fun with the Doctor. Finally, I realized that, even though I loved the TARDIS for letting my use her closet all the time for my clothes, I needed my own clothes. (Well, that's what I told the Doctor at least). I knew that soon we had to return to London, Earth 2005 to see Rose. So I came up with that little lie, well it sort of was a lie. After our adventure I _was_ going to go shopping with Rose, and maybe Jackie. '_I need a few hours of normal every once and a while',_ is what I told the Doctor. He relented after the few seconds of our little argument and said I could return to the time I was most familiar with to see the only people who knew I even existed.

I turned to the Doctor with a smile as I put my hands into my jean short pockets. My hands had to rest over the bright blue lace tanktop I wore before being able to rest in my pockets. The Doctor thought that I had money with me, but I had a feeling that it was going to be something that I remembered rather than a sudden adventure. Those were the best; I could just sit back and not have to worry about saving anyone because I didn't know what was going to happen to them. "How long have I been gone?"

"About 12 hours," the Doctor told me.

I smirked, "Okay." I nodded to the apartments, or _flats_ as the Doctor has corrected me before, to my left. "I'm going to get Rose and see if she can come with me."

"What're you going to tell her?" he asked.

I shrugged, "She knows I've been with you and knows that I promised to come back to see her. Rose is important, so is Mickey and Rose's mom, Jackie." The Doctor rolled his eyes. "What? They are! It doesn't matter if they're important to you. But they were the only people that know I've been done, or at least I think Jackie knows, and I need to connect to _someone_ without messing with a time line."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

I gave him a soft smile, "Even though I don't know where they are, I know someone or will know someone from here. However, at the time I can't interfere or else we never meet and I don't want to stop _that_."

"Fine, fine," the Doctor told me. "I still don't see why you couldn't have gone shopping on Doremo."

I shrugged, "I wanted to see Rose too. Doctor, just chill out. It will only be a few hours. I need some girl time, and I don't like girl time." I began to walk away, but after a moment turned back, spinning on my black flats and making my braided hair flip over my shoulder. "Oh – and don't you disappear."

The Doctor gave me a look to say 'as if I would'. I ignored his look and continued to Rose's flat. I rushed up the stairs and knocked on the door. The door opened and there stood Jackie Tyler. I gave her a sweet smile, "Hello Mrs. Tyler. I was wondering if Rose was home?"

Jackie gave me a slight glare, apparently I had interrupted her phone call. "Rose! There's someone here for you!" She motioned me inside as Rose came out of her room, from the look of her damp hair, having just gotten dressed after her shower.

Rose just stared at me with wide eyes, "You-you-" she couldn't seam to form real words.

"Yes, Rose," I said. "I promised I'd come back. I know it's not as soon as I'd like but a year isn't that bad is it?"

"I thought you were dead," she said.

I gave her a smirk, "We barely met and you cared if I was dead?"

"You ran off with that man, the Doctor," Rose said.

"The Doctor?" Jackie asked joining in on the conversation. "You mean the one that blew up your old job?"

"Oh good," I said. "You have a new job. Did you get compensation like your mother repeatedly asked?"

Jackie looked at me confused, "How did you know that?"

I shrugged, "It's what my mom would have done. I'd like to think you two were similar, other than you always being on the phone. The fact that you're the type of parent that's there for their child, but only when said child needs them there." I gave her a sweet smile, "I've always liked parents like that."

"Why did you come here?" Rose asked. "Did you come here to erase my memory or something?"

I laughed, "No. You and I are going shopping. Spending so much time with the Doctor, no matter how amazing he is, can be too much. So I wanted to see the only people that I knew in London. You, your mother, and Mickey. Your still with Mickey right?"

Rose absently nodded. "Why me?"

"Because I'm sure you would appreciate spending whatever you wanted on clothes." I shrugged. "Though I'm sure that's not the only thing that's going to happen." I then looked past the blonde teen, though I suppose she's twenty now, "What's that?" I walked past her to see a stack of papers with my face on them. They were 'Missing' papers. "Oh dear-"

"I thought he kidnapped you when you didn't come back for a month," Rose said softly. "After six months I thought you died. I didn't know what to do, so I made some fliers." The blonde wrapped her arms around me. "Even though I don't know you Faline, I know that we're connected somehow."

The Doctor burst into the flat while Rose hugged me tightly. "It's not 12 hours, it's er... 12 months. You've been gone a whole year." The Doctor said. He laughed apologetically while Rose and Jackie both looked at him, stunned. "Sorry."

I rolled my eyes at him and pulled myself from Rose. "I know, I just didn't think that Rose would write up 'Missing' papers for a girl she hardly knows."

Rose gave me a slight glare, "You were looking pretty helpless when you were held by that mannequin last time."

I gave a slight nod, "But you saved the day Rose. Your amazing, but I assure you, I am safe with the Doctor."

-x-x-x-

However, no matter how safe I said I was with the Doctor, Jackie still called the police saying she found her daughter's missing friend with a strange man and that I was threatened to come with him. I sat in the loveseat, my face in my hands trying not to laugh at the whole situation. Jackie began to speak, "We thought you were dead," she told me as the police officer looked at me up and down and then at the Doctor. My shaking shoulders might make me look like I was crying but the Doctor was the only one that could tell I wasn't, not that it helped him. "And where were you? Traveling. What the hell does that mean? Traveling? That's no sort of answer." She turned to the officer. "You ask her. She won't tell me! That's all she says. Traveling."

"That's what I was doing." I insisted.

Jackie, gesturing furiously, yelled, "Without your passport?"

I gave her a look, "I have my passport. I have every and all pieces of documentation pertaining to my _life_ saved on my computer. Social, birth certificate, etcetera. I don't know what your talking about. I meant to call, I really did, I just... I forgot." That and I don't have the Tyler home number, nor either or their cell phones seeing as they're the only ones I _can_ call.

"What, for a year?" Jackie shot down that answer. "You forgot for a year? I just don't believe you. Why won't you tell me where you've been?"

The Doctor then spoke up, "Actually, it's my fault. I sort of er, employed Faline as my companion."

The policeman then asked, "When you say 'companion', is this a sexual relationship?"

"No!" yelled the Doctor and I. Though that didn't mean I didn't want that kind of relationship. But then again, I'm 18 and my hormones are raging and I'm a virgin. I wasn't waiting for marriage or anything; I've just never had a reason to seeing as I've never been in a relationship before.

Jackie advanced dangerously on the Doctor, and I seeing as I was right beside him, "Then what is it? Because you, you waltz in here all charms and smiles, and the next thing I know, she vanishes off the face of the earth! How old are you then? 40? 45? What, you find them on the Internet? Did you go online and pretend you're a doctor?"

"I AM a Doctor!" he insisted.

"Prove it! Stitch this, mate." Jackie slapped him hard around the face. The Doctor groaned loudly while Rose rolled her eyes.

I blinked slowly twice, _okay_. Now even I'm confused. I turned to Rose, who stood beside me like a silent guardian, "What the hell is going on? Why the hell does your mother care who I am and that I was gone?"

Rose bit her lip, "I looked you up online. There is no one called Faline Marks. There's a Fiona Marks but she's sixteen and has some sort of metal thing."

I rolled my eyes, "It's Asperger's Sydrome." At her confused look I continued, "It's a type of Autism. Rose, just don't worry about who I am. Why does your mother care?"

"Because I wouldn't shut up about you for two months. You just left with the Doctor and didn't come back like you promised."

I pointed my finger at the Doctor, "_His fault_." He protested with an 'Oi', but I ignored him, "Besides we always go where we need to be even if it isn't where we want to be."

-x-x-x-

The Doctor and I were on the roof of the Tyler apartment complex. I sat on the wall and held my face in my hands. "I don't know what to do about this. I don't exist." I looked up. "How the hell did Rose even get a picture of me? And I missed a year? Was it good?"

The Doctor gave a slight shrug, "Middling."

I rolled my eyes, "Thanks that most _definitely_ helps me."

"Well, if it's this much trouble, are you gonna stay here now?"

My eyes widened, "Do you want me to stay here?"

"No," he said quickly.

I smiled, "Good, then you won't be rid of me anytime soon Doctor. I'm going to request to come here every once in a while, but I'm going to stay with you." The Doctor smiled in return while I frowned slightly, "But I cant do that to Rose again."

"Well," the Doctor said. "Your mom's not coming with us."

I looked at the Doctor confused for a moment before turning when I heard laughter. Rose was walking towards us as she laughed, having heard our conversation. The Doctor and I joined in on laughter. "No chance," Rose said as she came to sit beside me.

"I don't do families," he said while I smirked. That was a slight lie because Rory and Amy were the beginning of a family, especially when Amy has her little girl.

"She slapped you!" the blonde laughed.

"900 years of time and space, and I've never been slapped by someone's mother."

"Your face," Rose laughed.

The Doctor pouted, "It hurt!" He rubbed his cheek, as though still feeling the pain.

I giggled, "Poor little Nine."

"Nine?" Rose and the Doctor questioned.

I bit my lip, sucking in my lip ring, "It was my nickname for you. It changes each time, but you get it," I looked at the Doctor, "Right?"

He nodded, "Ya it makes sense."

"So I can call you that?" I asked.

The Doctor nodded, "Ya. It's fine."

We were all silent for a moment before Rose asked, "When you say 900 years..."

"That's my age," he said.

"You're nine hundred years old," Rose questioned. She looked to me. "What about you?"

I got off of the wall and turned to her walking backwards a few steps, "I'm only 18. If I had stayed here the whole year I'd be 19." Actually seeing as this was supposed to be 2005 to 2006 then I'd actually only be 13ish.

Rose then laughed, "My mum was right - that is one hell of an age gap for you two." She jumped off the wall. "Every conversation with you just goes mental. There's no one else I can talk to. I've seen all that stuff from a year ago, and I can't say a word. Aliens and spaceships and things, and I'm the only person on planet earth who knows they exist." Right on cue, a spacecraft narrowly missed our heads as it fell from the sky and headed for Central London. It smashed into Big Ben, then landed with a splash in the Thames. The Doctor and Rose stood up with their mouths open, while I watched their expressions rather than the damage the ship had left. "Oh, that's just not fair," Rose continued.

The Doctor laughed gleefully before spotting me. I gave him smile, "Game on." The Doctor grabbed Rose and my hands, and pulled us off in the direction of the action.

-x-x-x-

It was complete mayhem on the streets. The Doctor, Rose, and I arrived on the scene. After running the whole way there. It seamed that Rose wasn't entirely surprised with the insane amount of running the Doctor does.

"It's blocked off," the Doctor said with a hint of disappointment.

"We're miles from the Centre," Rose said. "The scene must be grid locked. The whole of London must be closing down."

"I know, I can't BELIEVE I'm here to see this! This is fantastic!" I rolled my eyes at him, which resulted in the Doctor giving me a look.

"Did you know this was going to happen?" Rose questioned.

"Nope!" he said.

"Do you recognize the ship?"

"Nope!"

"Do you know why it crashed?"

"Nope!"

I rolled my eyes, "It's wonderful you know _so_ much."

The Doctor smirked and turned to Rose, "This is what I travel for, Rose! To see history happening right in front of us."

"Well, let's go and see it! Never mind the traffic, we've got the TARDIS!" Rose said.

I looked a little shocked and then shook my head as the Doctor spoke, "Better not. They've already got one spaceship in the middle of London, don't want to shove another one on top."

"Yeah, but yours looks like a big blue box. No one's going to notice." She insisted.

I shook my head again, "You'll be surprised, and an emergency like this - there'll be all kinds of people watching." I glanced around looking for any identifying marks to spot UNIT or Torchwood on their way or at the scene.

The Doctor nodded in agreement, "Trust me, the TARDIS stays where she is."

Rose looks distinctly disgruntled. "So, history's happening and we're stuck here."

"Yes, we are." The Doctor and I said together.

Rose shrugged, "We could always do what everybody else does." The Doctor looked at her questioningly but I knew where the blonde was going with this. "We could watch it on TV." The Doctor looked as though that was a completely new idea to him, and it was. He didn't like to watch TV at all. We took a day off in the TARDIS and I spent the whole day re-watching the Doctor Who episodes I had. I was able to get all the way up until River Song was unmasked, but I think time went weird in my room and it was only a few hours for the Doctor but days for me.

-x-x-x-

The Doctor, Rose, and I sat in Rose's flat watching the TV intently. Rose sat on the couch while the Doctor sat on a chair closest to the television with me sitting beside him. Our sides were pressed together, but neither of us noticed, our eyes glued to the screen. The news reader spoke, "_Big Ben destroyed as a UFO crash lands in Central London. Police reinforcements are drafted in from across the country to control wide-spread panic, looting and civil disturbance. A state of national emergency has been declared. Tom Hitchinson is at the scene._"

The screen switched over to a man on the scene of the accident, "_The police urge the public not to panic. There's a help line number on screen right now if you're worried about friends or family._"

They the channel over to an American news channel. "_The military are on the lookout for more spaceships. Until then, all flights in North American air space have been grounded._"

They turned it back to News 24. "_The army are sending divers into the wreck of the spaceship. No one knows what they're going to find._"

Back to the American channel. "_The President will address the nation live from the White House. But the Secretary General has asked that people watch the skies._"

Jackie came in to give Rose a cup of tea. "I've got no choice! Either I make him welcome, or I run the risk of never seeing you again!" Clearly she didn't mind me being there at all.

At least ten minutes later Jackie and her friend Marianna were babbling on angrily about something that no one else really cared about.

"Oi! I'm trying to listen!" the Doctor called to them, not that it stopped the two. I was able to tune them out but seeing as the Doctor yelled in my ear I lost concentration and missed what was going on.

The news reader continued, the two of us missing a bit of his conversation, _"__... his current whereabouts. News is just coming in, we can go to Tom at the embankments._"

The camera went to the on-scene reporter, "_They've found a body." _The Doctor raised his eyebrows, his hand squeezing my thigh. Oh he hated death, especially death that had no point._ "__It's unconfirmed but I'm being told a body has been found in the wreckage. A body of non-terrestrial origins. It's being brought ashore._"

Jackie entered the room giving a bottle of wine to a couple of people. The amount of people within the room had increased when the two weren't paying attention, Rose was now loosing interest in the news, but remained in her spot watching the Doctor and I. "Oh," Jackie began. "Guess who asked me out," she sat down saying, "Billy Crewe." The Doctor shook his head.

The news reader spoke saying, "_Unconfirmed reports say that the body __is__ of extra-terrestrial origin. An extraordinary event unfolding here live here in Central London. The body is being transferred to a secure unit mortuary. The whereabouts is yet unknown._"

I gasped in slight pain as a toddler landed on my stomach with the remote in his hand. The TV changed channels a few times and came to rest on Blue Peter. "_And when you've stuck your things on, you can cover the whole lot..._" The Doctor tried to wrestle the TV remote off a toddler. "_Ooo, look at that. Then, ice it, any color you want - here's one I made a little bit earlier - look at that. Your very own spaceship ready to eat. And there's something a little extra special—_" The Doctor changed the channel back to News 24.

"_... in hospital._" The news reader finished.

The on-scene reporter said, "_We still don't know whether it's alive or dead. Whitehall is denying everything. But the body has been brought here, Albian Hospital, the roads closed off - it's the closest to the river._"

The little boy hopped off my lap and stood in front of the TV screen. The Doctor pointed violently sideways. "Go on!" he told the toddler. The toddler wandered off and I rolled my eyes at the Doctor. He never did like kids that much, unless they were crying. Even I couldn't help myself when I was around a crying child (well a child that cried real tears rather than attention tears).

"_I'm being told that..._" the reporter said. "_General Asquith is now entering the hospital. The building's evacuated. The patients have been moved out onto the streets. The police still won't confirm the presence of an alien body. Contained inside those walls..._" he continued talking about that before it switched over to another reporter outside of 10 Downing Street.

"_Mystery still surrounds there whereabouts of the prime minister. He's not been seen since the emergency began. The opposition are criticizing his lack of leadership. Hold on—_" A man got out of a car and enters 10 Downing Street. "_Oh - that's Joseph Green, MP for Hartley Dale. He's chairman of the parliamentary commission on the monitoring of sugar standards in exported confectionary. With respect, hardly the most important person right now._"

-x-x-x-

It was dark now. The Doctor and I slipped outside the back door of Rose's flat. Rose emerged after them. "And where do you think you're going?"

We turned around, the Doctor saying, "Nowhere! It's just a bit human in there for me. History just happened and they're talking about where you can buy dodgy top up cards for half price. I'm off on a wander, that's all."

"Right - there's a spaceship on the Thames and you're just 'wandering'."

"Nothing to do with me!" he insisted. "It's not an invasion. That was a genuine crash landing. Angle of descent, color of smoke, everything. It's perfect!"

"So..." Rose started.

"So maybe this is it! First contact! The day mankind officially comes into contact with an alien race. I'm not interfering because you've GOT to handle this on your own. That's when the human race finally grows up. Just this morning you were all tiny and small and made of clay! Now you can expand!" He laughed in delight and Rose smiled. "You don't need me - go and celebrate history. Spend some time with your mum." He walked away with me following.

"Promise you won't disappear?" Rose asked.

I stopped and turned around again. I tugged on the Doctor's arm making him stop too. I walked back to Rose and held her arms, "I swear to you. Besides, you need to come shopping with me, so we can have a normal day. You wont get rid of us that easily Rose Tyler." I walked back to the Doctor and the two of us left her standing there.

The Doctor and I left the block of flats. There was a raucous party on the third floor with a banner hanging over the balcony saying "THE ALIENS HAVE LANDED". A banner hanging from another window said "WELCOME TO OUR WORLD". A woman spotted the Doctor and called down to him. "Hey, gorgeous! Come back and join the party!"

I glanced at the woman and said nothing, hiding the smirk that wanted to break. We continued walking, the Doctor pausing at a shop window to read the sign saying, "ELLO ET". He would have stared longer were it not for the fact that I pulled him along. He walked up to the TARDIS taking a bunch of keys out of his pocket to open the TARDIS while I waited beside him. It took him another thirty seconds before he opened the door.

I moved to walk inside the TARDIS but stopped when the Doctor grabbed my arm, holding me back. I turned to him, tilting my head. "What?"

"It's about time you had this," he took my hand and placed something cool in it. I opened my hand to see an intricate silver key attached to a silver chain. On the chain with the key was a clear, dangling bead. "The TARDIS made it for you. I found it on the control station when we came here."

I gave a soft smile as I slipped the necklace around my neck, the key rested right between my breasts, the chain long enough to hide if need be. "Thank you," I told him as I placed my hand on the door to the TARDIS as I walked inside. The Doctor however ran to the console. I closed the door and said, "Thank you," to the TARDIS. I watched the Doctor as I walked up the ramp. He smacked down a few buttons and turned a handle. He beamed up at me when the TARDIS started to move. I rolled my eyes from my spot against the railing and then pointed over to the smoke pouring out of the console. Looking slightly put-out, the Doctor hit it a couple of times with a hammer. Amazingly, this helps, and the Doctor kissed the hammer and gazed up at the console with a childish beam on his face. His attention then turned to me as I frowned at him.

The Doctor looked confused, "What?"

I glared at him, "You really shouldn't hit her. It's not her fault you can't fly a Type 40 TARDIS correctly."

"I can too fly!" he said.

"Ya?" I asked. "Then why the hell did you send the manual into a super nova?"

"How did you-" he paused, "Never mind."

My attention then turned to the TARDIS doors. "Why did you send us here?" I asked him.

The Doctor gave me a look, "I thought you were mad at me."

I glared at the Time Lord, "Just tell me."

"We have to see what was in that space ship," he said walking to the entrance while holding my hand, noticing very quickly that I wasn't pulling away, showing I had gotten over his great lapse in judgment. Not that I wasn't still irritated, I just wasn't going to take it out on him anymore. Someone wise told me that 'I'm a woman and I can hold onto it forever' or maybe that was a movie. Either way, we emerged in a very small, very cramped storeroom in Albion Hospital. Clearly this wasn't where he planned on landing seeing as he looked around in confusion before making his way to the door. He then gestured elegantly towards the door after her unlocked them with the sonic screwdriver.

I rolled my eyes and opened the door. We found themselves in a room where about 20 soldiers were sitting around talking and laughing. They fell silent when we opened the door. There was a pause while they all stared at each other, then they all leapt to their feet and pointed their guns at us. The Doctor grinned while I sighed heavily.

"Why does this always happen to us?" I muttered hoping to god that none of the men were going to shoot. Even though I knew they wouldn't shoot us I was still terrified.

The Doctor smiled at me, "Because we're special." I glared at him. He sighed, "Okay, so maybe it's slightly my fault."

"Slightly?" I asked. "What in the hell did you think was going to happen when we came to …" I paused looking around. "Where the hell are we?"

"Albion Hospital."

I growled, glaring at him, "You brought us here?"

The Doctor nodded simply, "Ya."

I glared at him. "Idiot," I muttered. "I should let them shoot you."

A scream sounded out through the Hospital, upon hearing the scream, the Doctor stopped smiling and ran to the door, clutching my hand as he dragged me along. "Defense part delta!" the Doctor yelled to the soldiers. "Come on, move, move!" All the soldiers followed them from the room in the direction of the scream. They run down the corridors. I was the first to spot the female doctor cowering on the floor. I released the Doctor's hand and went to the woman, crouching besides her.

"It's alive!" the female doctor cried, clutching my wrist. I stared at the doctor with wide eyes. TOSHIKO SATO! It's Tosh! I love Tosh!

The Doctor came behind me. He turned to the men behind him. "Spread out. Tell the perimeter it's a lock down."

I then turned and said, "And tell them _not_ to shoot. Under no circumstances once so ever are they aloud to fire their weapons."

"My God - it's still alive," Tosh muttered. Well, she played her part well. Or is this before she joined Torchwood? I cant remember for the life of me, all I know is that Ianto wouldn't be there for a while.

I glanced back to see the men were still standing there watching them. "Do it!" I yelled at them.

They ran off and start searching the building. I turned back to Toshiko. Blood was leaking out from under her hairline. "I swear it was dead." She said as I reached up and grabbed a tissue from the conveniently placed box upon the table besides us.

I dabbed the wound and then whispered to Tosh, "Tell Captain Jack, 'Faline says hi'."

Tosh looked confused, "What are you-" I couldn't tell if she was serious or acting.

"Doesn't matter, you will or do know a man by the name of Captain Jack Harkness. Tell him 'Faline says hi'." I looked the older woman in the eyes, "Please."

Tosh nodded as the Doctor spoke, "Coma - shock - hibernation - anything. What does it look like?" There was a slight sound from behind them. We turned around quickly. "It's still here."

The Doctor stood up and beckoned another soldier into the room. He walked forward quietly, looking for the source of the sound. When he heard another rattling, he dropped to his knees and crawled to peer behind the desk. From the other side of the desk, the face of a pig peered back at him, snorting. "Hello!" the Doctor said. The pig squealed in terror and ran across the room.

I jumped up and followed the pig, "Don't shoot!" I cried as I raced after it.

The soldier readied his gun. "Don't shoot!" the Doctor echoed. The pig ran along the corridor. One of the soldiers pointed his gun at it and shot before the Doctor can stop him. "What did you do that for? It was scared!" The soldier looked from him to the pig in alarm. The Doctor crouched down to look at the pig as I stood in shock. "It was scared." He stroked the pig as it died.

I came up beside the Doctor. My hand rested on his shoulder, "Come on. We have bigger issues to deal with."

The Doctor stood and ordered the soldiers to bring the pig's body into the examination room. We got caught up in what was going on, leaning what the Doctor thought about the 'alien's' origins. Tosh and the Doctor stood over the pig's body while I was off to the side; I wasn't too keen on seeing this bit. Dead bodies always gave me the chills.

"I just assumed that's what alien's look like," Tosh said. "But you're saying it's an ordinary pig? From Earth?"

"More like a mermaid," the Doctor said. "Victorian showmen used to draw the crowds by taking the skull of a cat and gluing it to a fish and calling it a mermaid. Now, someone's taken a pig, opened up it's brain, stuck bits on... then they strapped it in that ship and made it dive bomb. It must've been terrified. They've taken this animal and turned it into a joke."

While Tosh was distracted the Doctor came beside me and took my hand pulling me to the TARDIS. Once inside he immediately went to the controls and brought us back to where we were before we left. Hopefully Rose wouldn't notice.

I turned away from the Doctor when I heard a knock at the door. Knowing it was Rose, I opened the TARDIS doors and let her enter to see the Doctor looking at the computer screen.

"Alright," He said, "so I lied. We went and had a look, but the whole crash landing's a fake - I thought so, it's just too perfect. I mean, 'hitting Big Ben' come on, so I thought let's go and have a look—" he however was interrupted.

"My mum's here," Rose told him.

The door creaked open and Jackie and Mickey entered. The Doctor looked around. "Oh, that's JUST what I need. Don't you dare make this place domestic!"

Mickey then turned all the years worth of anger onto the Doctor "You ruined my life, Doctor." The Doctor spun smoothly around to face him. "They thought she was dead. I was a murder suspect because of you."

The Doctor then said to Rose, "See what I mean? Domestic."

I looked at Mickey confused, "Why would you be a murder suspect?"

"Because I was the last person to see you alive," he continued, glaring at the Doctor.

"But so was Rose," I said.

Mickey shrugged, "I don't know. They just assumed it was me seeing as I didn't report you missing."

I sighed, "You must have gotten the stupidest cops in the world."

Mickey took a few steps towards the Doctor, continuing the conversation or rather argument that I had interrupted. "I bet you don't even remember my name!"

"Ricky," the Doctor said immediately. I smirked; the other dimension was 'Ricky'. That always made me wonder if the Doctor knew that.

"It's Mickey," he growled.

"No, it's Ricky," the Doctor said.

Mickey continued, "I think I know my own name."

The Doctor then answered him, "You THINK you know your own name? How stupid are you?"

I jumped down when I saw how angry Mickey was getting. I stepped in between the two of them, "Oh, no. The two of you want to fight? Fine. But you better get the HELL out of the TARDIS to do so."

Jackie, who had been looking around the TARDIS with a bewildered expression, turned and ran outside again. My head snapped to the door making Rose notice her mother leave, "Mum, don't!" she called. Rose turned to the Doctor. "Don't go anywhere!" She then turned to Mickey, "Listen to Faline and don't start a fight!" She didn't need to say anything to me, knowing that I was going to keep the boys in check being their baby sitter. Rose was gone for a few moments before she ran back inside the TARDIS and back to the Doctor's side, where he was looking at his monitor again. "That was a REAL spaceship?"

"Yep!" the Doctor said.

"So, it's all a pack of lies?" Rose asked. "What is it then, are they invading?"

Mickey was on tip-toes peering at the screen over their shoulders. Mickey put aside his anger for now and said, "Funny way to invade, putting the world on red alert."

The Doctor, mildly impressed said, "Good point! So, what're they up to?" The Doctor shook his head, "I need to have a look."

I glared at him as he went underneath the consol. "You really think that's a good idea?"

The Doctor shushed me while poking and prodding at the underside of the console.

Mickey peered curiously down at the Doctor. "So, what're you doing down there?" Mickey asked.

The Doctor said a word muffled, due to the sonic screwdriver he's holding between his teeth but still understandable, "Ricky."

"Mickey," said boy stated.

The Doctor took the sonic screwdriver out of his mouth to make himself clearer, "Ricky." Mickey rolled his eyes, irked. "If I was to tell you what I was doing to the controls of my frankly magnificent time ship, would you even begin to understand?"

"I suppose not..." Mickey agreed.

"Shut it, then." He said. He put the sonic screwdriver back between his teeth.

I sighed heavily, "Just ignore him Mickey. I do when he's being _rude!_"

The Doctor exclaimed, "Got it! Haha!" Rose rushed over to the other side of the console where I stood leaning against the railing. However the blonde ignored me and turned her attention to the Doctor, who had climbed out from under the console. "Patched in the radar, looped it back twelve hours so we can follow the flight of the spaceship, here we go... hold on..." He whacked the computer screen. "Come on!" I shook my head at the Doctor's abuse and moved to see the screen. "That's the spaceship on it's way to Earth... see? Except... hold on... see, the spaceship did a sling shot round the Earth before it landed."

"What does that mean?" Rose asked.

"It means," the Doctor said, "it came from Earth in the first place - it went up and came back down. Whoever those aliens are, they haven't just arrived. They've been here for a while. The question is, what have they been doing?"

The Doctor began switching the television from channel to channel. "How many channels do you get?" Mickey asked me knowing that the Doctor didn't want to talk to him.

"All the basic packages," I said never taking my eyes off the Doctor.

"You get sports channels?" Mickey asked getting slightly excited.

I laughed, "Yes, it gets football or soccer, whatever."

The Doctor paused on a screen, "Hold on, I know that bloke."

The on screen reporter said, "_It is looking likely that the government is bringing in alien specialists - those people who have devoted their lives to studying outer space._"

"UNIT!" the Doctor exclaimed. "United Nations Intelligence Task force - good people."

"Blech," I said causing the Doctor to give me a look. "I never liked UNIT. They irritated me."

Rose looked back and forth between the two of us, "How do you know them?"

Mickey then jumped in, "'Cos he's worked for them. Yeah, don't think I sat on my backside for twelve months, Doctor. I read up on you. You look deep enough on the Internet... and in the history books, and there's his name. Followed by a list of the dead."

The Doctor then commented, "That's nice. Good boy, Ricky."

"If you know them, why don't you go and help?" Rose questioned.

The Doctor shook his head, "They wouldn't recognize me. I've changed a lot since the old days. Besides, the world's on a knife-edge. There's aliens out there and fake aliens. We want to keep this alien out of the mix. I'm going undercover... and eh, better keep the TARDIS out of site. Rickey! You've got a car - you can do some driving." He walked towards the TARDIS door.

"Where to?" Mickey questioned.

"The roads are clearing. Let's go and have a look at that spaceship." The Doctor stated. We stepped out of the TARDIS to the sound of helicopters - we were immediately caught out by a searchlight.

A loudspeaker called out, "Do not move!" Police cars and soldiers surrounded them, pointing guns at them and preventing their escape. Mickey made a run for it, while Jackie ran out of the flat and tried to get to Rose but two soldiers restrained her.

"No!" Jackie cried out.

I caught Mickey's eye as he hid behind some dustbins. The Doctor, Rose, and I were standing in the center looking slightly confused in the searchlight. The loudspeaker called out to them again, "Raise your hands above your head! You are under arrest!"

We obeyed. "Take me to your leader!" the Doctor joked.

I rolled my eyes at him, "Really?" He smirked at me. "If there weren't guns pointed at us then I would smack you!"

"No you wouldn't," he told me.

I glared at him but then gasped when a solider came up behind me and grabbed my shoulder. "Come along," he told me, leading me a ways away to a car. I was placed inside the car, being told to sit in the middle and waited only a few moments before the Doctor car in on her left and Rose on her right. The door shut and they drove off.

"This is a bit posh." Rose said. "If I knew it was gonna be like this - being arrested - I'd have done it years ago."

The Doctor glanced at Rose. "We're not being arrested, we're being escorted!"

"Where to?" Rose asked.

"Where'd you think?" the Doctor asked. "Downing Street!"

Rose said, "You're kidding."

"I'm not!"

"10 Downing Street?"

"That's the one!"

Rose laughed with glee. "Oh, my God! I'm going to 10 Downing Street?" The Doctor nodded, grinning. "How come?"

"I hate to say it, but Mickey was right." The Doctor said. "Over the years I've visited this planet a lot of times, and I've been, uh - noticed."

"Now they need you?" Rose asked.

"Like it said on the news - they're gathering experts in alien knowledge. And who's the biggest expert of the lot?" He grinned expectantly at her.

"Patrick Moore?" Rose asked making me laugh and the Doctor frown. He remembered Patrick Moore very well and he did not like him after he started shamelessly flirting with me.

"Apart from him!" he said.

I smiled and laughed saying, "Don't say his name. He's got a big enough head." I poked the Doctor's head playfully and he pushed my hand away with a look.

"I'm telling you," the Doctor said. "Lloyd George - he used to drink me under the table. Who's the Prime Minister now?"

"How should I know? I'm only 20. I don't keep up with politics." Rose said.

"Okay," I said. "Now that we have _that_ out of the way, what's so important about 10 Downing Street?" Rose gave me a confused look and I continued, "Remember I'm American. All I get is that it's important. But why?"

"It's the Prime Minister's home and office," the Doctor said.

I gave a slight nod, "Okay. That makes sense."

The car pulled up outside 10 Downing Street. The paparazzi and hundreds of police men are there. The Doctor got out of the car and waved at them all, grinning manically. I got out after him, the Doctor gracefully letting me out. My hand stayed tight in the Doctor's, shivering as I looked at all the cameras. I never liked my picture being taken.

Rose smiled nervously and then looked up at 10 Downing Street. Under her breath she muttered, "Oh my God!" She followed the Doctor and I inside.

We were lead into a large room filled with other experts, gunmen, and people that just plain worked there. "Ladies and Gentlemen," a younger man spoke. He had introduced himself at the door, his name was Indra. "Could we convene? Quick as we can, please. It's this way on the right and can I remind you, ID cards are to be worn at all times." He approached the Doctor and gave him an ID card. "Here's your ID card. I'm sorry; your companions don't have clearance."

"I don't go anywhere without them," The Doctor said looping the ID card around his neck.

"You're the code nine, not them," Indra explained. A woman sidled up to them as Indra continued, "I'm sorry, Doctor... it is the Doctor, isn't it? They'll have to stay outside."

"They're staying with me," the Doctor insisted.

Indra sighed, "Look, even I don't have clearance to go in there. I can't let her in and that's a fact."

Rose turned to the Doctor, "It's alright, you go. "

The woman appeared at Indra's shoulder. "Excuse me? Are you the Doctor?"

Indra looked positively exasperated. "Not now, we're busy - can't you go home?"

The Doctor kept his attention on Rose and myself, "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, they're the experts, you should hear what they've got to say," Rose told him.

I nodded, "Ya, don't worry. I know what's going on and you don't really need the girl from another dimension to talk about aliens now do you." I hugged the Doctor and whispered in his ear, "Beware the ID cards. Please Doctor."

The Doctor nodded, "I s'pose so. Don't get into any trouble." He locked eyes with me, "Why?"

I smirked, "I'm here for a reason. Same reason I wanted to go instead of Jabe and when I cried out for Gwyneth to stop."

The woman continued to speak to Indra, "I just need a word in private."

"You haven't got clearance, now leave it!" Indra took both Rose and I by the arms. "I'm going to have to leave you with security." He began to lead her away.

"It's alright," the woman insisted. " I'll look after them. Let me be of some use." To Rose and I she said, "Walk with me. Just keep walking..." They walked past the guards at the door. "That's right... don't look round! Harriet Jones, MP Flydale North." She showed us her ID card.

"Harriet Jones?" I asked with a bright smile.

"Yes," Harriet said slightly confused.

"It's great to meet you," I told her. She looked even more confused and I continued, "I've just heard about you and have always believed in the same views as you, that's all."

Harriet nodded and we continued walking for a moment longer before we stopped while in a stairway corridor. She looked upset and highly distressed. "This friend of yours... he's an expert, is that right? He knows about aliens?"

"Why do you wanna know?" Rose asked.

Harriet broke down into tears. Rose took her arms awkwardly in an attempt to comfort her while sharing a confused look with me.

After her little breakdown Harriet Jones led them to the cabinet room. She showed us a body suit. "They turned the body into a suit! A disguise for the thing inside!" She bursts into tears again.

Rose again comforted the woman, "It's alright! I believe you. It's... it's alien." She looked to me and I nodded, taking the place to comfort Harriet. "They must have some SERIOUS technology behind this... if we could find it..." She started rummaging around the room. "... we could use it." She opened a cupboard and a man's body fell out. Harriet moved from my arms and went to examine the body while I stayed back. "Oh, my God! Is that-?"

Indra entered the room before she could finish her question, "Harriet, for God's sake! This has gone beyond a joke - you cannot just wander-." He spotted the body on the floor. "Oh, my God. That's the Prime Minister!"

"Ohhh!" a voice spoke from behind them. I leapt up as Indra, Rose and Harriet turned to see a rather husky woman enter the cabinet room. I moved backwards, taking Rose's hand and placing the blonde behind me. I was the first line of defense against this woman, no this _alien_. "Has someone been naughty?" They all looked at each other while I kept my eyes on the woman, remembering the name that matched the body suit, Margaret. Margaret shut the door behind her, closing us all in.

Indra looked between the body and Margaret, "That's impossible. He left this afternoon. The Prime Minister left Downing Street, he was driven away!"

"And who told you that? Hmm?" Margaret walked to the baffled Indra. "Me." She stroked the hair from her forehead.

Margaret pulled her skin suit, revealing herself to the disgust and shock of Indra, Harriet and Rose. I however showed no emotion as I looked at the large alien. Margaret roared in delight and grabbed Indra between her claws, pinning him up against the wall. He shouted as she strangled him. I chose then to act, pushing Harriet backwards as well and rushed Margaret. I was about to slam into her but she used her other hand to slap me back to Rose and Harriet. Tears filled my eyes and all I could do was watch as I failed to save Indra.

**TO BE CONTINUED**


	5. 1x05

**1x05 "World War Three"** **  
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Margaret was suddenly enveloped in the some sort of electrical pain and dropped Indra's now lifeless body from the wall. I gasped as I slowly stood back up, backing away from the alien. I turned to Rose and said, "We have to go." Rose immediately grabbed Harriet's hand and followed me from the room, Harriet whimpered slightly, while Rose just looking terrified.

I led Rose and Harriet down a corridor. However we didn't get much farther than that when Harriet cried out, "No, wait!" The Rose and I stopped. "They're still in there! The emergency protocols! We need them!"

Harriet ran back in the direction of the cabinet room before Rose or I could say anything against it. We followed her, but we are quickly forced to change direction as Margaret came our way. She chased us. We ran across a hallway, I closing the door behind us hoping that this might just slow her down. Margaret simply leapt through the door. We arrived back in another room and shut the door behind us.

Margaret chased Rose, Harriet, and myself. I kneed a locked door. The lift pinged open, revealing the Doctor. Margaret roared at him, and he smiled and nods around at us. He pleasantly said, "Hello!"

The doors shut again, distracting Margaret long enough for the three of us to slip away un-noticed. We continued running until we found themselves in a room where all the doors are locked - a dead end.

"Hide!" I commanded. We all hid ourselves, extremely poorly I might add. Harriet behind a screen, Rose behind a cabinet, and I hid in a corner behind another cabinet. It was like we were children playing hide and seek.

Margaret entered the room in which we were hiding. Margaret called out playfully, "Oh, such fun! Little human children... where are you? Sweet little humeykins... come to me... let me kiss you better..." I watched as Rose bolted from her hiding place behind a cabinet to take refuge behind the curtain. "...kiss you with my big, green lips." She hissed angrily.

The other aliens entered the room, I couldn't see what they looked like so there was no way knowing what they were. "My brothers," Margaret smiled.

"Happy hunting?" one of the others, clearly male, asked.

"It's wonderful. The more you prolong it, the more they stink." As Margaret said I sensed her move slightly closer to me. I pushed myself back a bit, I saw Harriet glance behind the screen and shook my head at her.

The second alien male spoke, "Sweat... and fear." Harriet's mouth dropped open with horror while I took deep silent breaths.

"I can smell an old girl..." the first alien male said, "Stale bird... brittle bones."

"And a ripe youngster," Margaret added. "All hormones and adrenaline. Fresh enough to bend before she snaps."

The second male alien paused, "Do you smell-"

I jumped up from my hiding place before he could finish, I chuckled nervously. "Alright," I said to the three green aliens. "You got me." Margaret took a step towards me as I slowly took a step back. I wasn't going to let them get to Rose. She was much more important that I ever was.

Harriet jumped out from her hiding place startling the aliens and myself, "No! Take me first! Take me!"

The Doctor crashed in and blasted a fire extinguisher in the Slitheen's faces. "Out! With me!" he called. I pulled the curtain down away from Rose and over Margaret's head and then both Rose and I ran to stand behind the Doctor where Harriet quickly joined them. The Doctor looked at Harriet. "Who the hell are you?"

The older woman held up her badge as she spoke, "Harriet Jones - MP for Flydale North."

"Nice to meet you," he said.

"Likewise," she said with a slight nod.

The Doctor blasted the fire extinguisher again. Then we ran for it, the Doctor's hand incasing mine. As they ran through the corridor the Doctor spoke, "We need to get to the cabinet rooms!"

"The Emergency Protocols are in there!" Harriet said breaking them from their conversation. "They give instructions on aliens!"

The Doctor smirked, "Harriet Jones - I like you."

Harriet nodded confused, "And I like you too."

We ran. The Doctor bypassed a locked door with his sonic screwdriver and aliens pursued us all the way back to the cabinet room.

We had no time to close the door, so instead the Doctor picked up a bottle of brandy and held his sonic screwdriver to it. "One more move and my sonic device will triplicate the flammability of this alcohol. Whoof! We all go up. So back off." The three aliens hesitated. "Right then. Question time. Who exactly are the Slitheen?"

"They're aliens," Harriet said.

I nodded, "Yes. We got that, thanks."

The first male Slitheen then asked, "Who are you, if not human?" His eyes looked moved from the Doctor to me. The Doctor moved slightly in front of me, trying to shield me from the Slitheen.

"Who's not human?" Harriet asked.

"He's not human," Rose said. She didn't realize the Slitheen added me to the non-human mix.

"He's not human?" Harriet gasped.

I turned to them, "Quiet, please."

"Sorry," Harriet muttered.

The Doctor kept his attention on the Slitheen, "So - what's the plan?"

Harriet became confused again. "But he's got a Northern accent."

Rose answered, "Lots of planets have a North."

I sharply turned to them, "Guys. Quiet."

The Doctor held the brandy threateningly out in front of him. "You've got a spaceship hidden in the North Sea. It's transmitting a signal. You've murdered your way to the top of government - what for? Invasion?"

The second male Slitheen questioned, "Why would we invade this God forsaken rock?"

"Then something's brought the Slitheen race here - what is it?" the Doctor asked.

"'The Slitheen race'?" Asquith asked.

"Slitheen is not our species. Slitheen is our surname. Jocrassa Fel Fotch Pasameer Day Slitheen at your service." The first male answered.

"So, you're family," I said, suddenly remembering their planet name. The question is, should I tell the Doctor?

Joseph nodded slightly, "It's a family business."

The Doctor spoke, "Then you're out to make a profit. How can you do that on a 'God forsaken rock'?"

The second male then asked, "Ahhh... excuse me? Your device will do what? Triplicate the flammability...?"

I tilted my head, "Is that what he said?"

"You're making it up!" Asquith growled.

"Ah, well! Nice try." The Doctor said. "Harriet, have a drink. I think you're gonna need it." He offered her the brandy, skipping over me.

Harriet then told him, "Pass it to the left first."

The Doctor nodded slightly, "Sorry." He handed it to Rose.

"Thanks," the blonde muttered.

The second male smirked, "Now we can end this hunt... with a slaughter." He flexed his claws menacingly.

The Doctor folded his arms as Rose asked, "Don't you think we should run?"

The three Slitheen shuffled forward as the Doctor spoke, "Fascinating history, Downing Street. Two thousand years ago, this was marsh land. 1730, it was occupied by a Mr. Chicken. He was a nice man. 1796, this was the cabinet room - if the cabinet's in session and in danger, these are about the four most safest walls in the whole of Great Britain." He reached over and pressed a switch near the door. "End of lesson." Every entrance to the room was immediately blocked by metal shutters. The Doctor turned to Rose, Harriet, and I. "Installed in 1991. Three inches of steel lining every single wall. They'll never get in."

"And how do we get out?" Rose asked.

There was a long pause. "Ah," the Doctor said. The Doctor nodded and dragged Indra's body into a cupboard, "What was his name?"

"Which one?" Harriet asked.

"This one - the secretary or whatever he was called." The Doctor said.

Harriet goes to look at the secretary. "I don't know. I talked to him. I brought him a cup of coffee. I never asked his name."

"Indra," I told him. The Doctor glanced at me. "He told us his name when we came in."

The Doctor crossed Indra's hands over his body. "Sorry." He muttered before striding into the room. "Right, what have we got? Any terminals? Anything?"

"What I don't get," Rose said. "Is when they killed the Prime Minister, why didn't they use him as a disguise?"

I shook my head again, "No way. He's too small, for them to even try. They need bigger humans to fit inside."

Rose looked confused, "But the Slitheen are about 8 feet, how do they squeeze inside?"

The Doctor then said, "That's the device around their necks - compression field - literally shrinks them down a bit. That's why there's all that gas, it's a big exchange."

"Wish I had a compression field, I could fit a size smaller," Rose joked.

Harriet then chimed in, "Excuse me, people are dead, this is not the time for making jokes."

I sighed, "Harriet there are three types of ways people handle situations like these. Stay calm, crack jokes to make it easier, and break down. Rose cracks jokes to calm herself down, and frankly it keeps me pretty calm too. With friends like the Doctor, you need to be as calm as possible." I looked at the Doctor, who is busy scanning the walls with his sonic screwdriver.

"Well, that's a strange friendship," Harriet said.

The Doctor then turned to us, "Harriet Jones - I've heard that name before - Harriet Jones."

I nodded, "You have Doctor."

He turned his attention to Harriet. "You're not famous for anything, are you?"

"Huh! Hardly." Harriet said.

"Rings a bell, Harriet Jones..." He looked as though he was struggling to remember something.

Harriet continued, "Lifelong back bencher I'm afraid, and a fat lot of use I'm being now - the protocols are redundant, they list the people who can help and they're all dead downstairs."

"Hasn't it got like, defence codes and things?" Rose asked. "Can we just launch a nuclear bomb at 'em?"

Harriet stared at the young blonde, "You're a very violent young woman..."

"I'm serious! We could!"

Harriet shook her head, "Well, there's nothing like that in here. Nuclear strikes do need a release code, yes, but it's kept secret by the United Nations."

The Doctor stopped scanning the mantelpiece with his sonic screwdriver to listen. While I said, "Say that again."

"What, about the codes?"

The Doctor said, "Anything. All of it."

"Um, well... the British Isles can't gain access to atomic weapons without a special resolution from the UN." Harriet told them.

Rose rolled her eyes, "Like that's ever stopped them."

Harriet nodded, "Exactly, given our past record - and I voted against that, thank you very much. The codes have been taken out of the governments hands and given to the UN." The Doctor and I went into a deep thought. "Is it important?"

I gave the woman a slight smile, "Everything's important."

"If we only knew what the Slitheen wanted," Harriet paused. "Listen to me, I'm saying 'Slitheen' as if it's normal."

"What do they want, though?" Rose asked.

"Well, it's just one family so it's not an invasion. They don't want Slitheen world... they're out to make money, which means they want to use something, something here on Earth... some kind of asset." The Doctor said.

"Like what? Gold? Oil? Water?" Harriet asked.

The Doctor smiled, "You're very good at this."

Harriet was please as she said, "Thank you."

My phone suddenly went off. "Oh! That's me." I took my phone out of my pocket.

"But we're sealed off - how did you get a signal?" Harriet asked confused.

I nodded to the Doctor, "He zapped it! Super-phone." I paused and turned to the Doctor. "No one has my number."

The Doctor leaned over my shoulder as I opened the text message I received rather than answering what we had thought to be a phone call. _**Hello back Kitten. –CJH**_

"Whose that?" he asked. I just smiled and saved the number under my contacts, deleting everyone else to keep from heartbreak.

Harriet turned to the Doctor and I, "Then we can phone for help! You must have contacts."

"Dead downstairs or headed to the hospital, yeah," the Doctor said.

I turned to him with wide eyes, "Not all dead?"

The Doctor gave me a soft smile, "No. Most are being sent to the hospital right now. Thank you for telling me."

I handed my phone to Rose and said, "Contact Mickey. He has something important to tell you."

"Tell her what?" the Doctor asked.

I smirked, "You'll see."

The Doctor sighed, "Oh, tell your stupid boyfriend we're busy." I hit his arm, I happened to like Mickey. Rose's boyfriend was very resourceful. He found more about the Doctor than anyone ever has without _really_ meeting him or being me of course. That gets points in my book.

"Yeah, he's not so stupid after all." Rose handed the Doctor her phone. Mickey had sent my phone the photo of the Slitheen in Jackie's kitchen.

Immediately the Doctor called Mickey up. Mickey began to tell us, _**No, no, no, no, no - not just alien, but like, proper alien. All stinking, and wet, and disgusting. And more to the point, it wanted to kill us!**_

_**I could've died!**_ Jackie chimed in.

"Is she alright, though?" Rose asked. "Don't put her on, just tell me."

The Doctor snatched the phone from her. "Is that Ricky? Don't talk, just shut up and go to your computer."

_**It's Mickey. And why should I?**_ he asked.

"Mickey the Idiot," the Doctor paused slightly as I hit him on the arm. "I might just choke before I finish this sentence, but eh - I need you." Rose smiled.

I could distantly hear typing before Mickey told us, _**It says password**_.

The Doctor put the i-phone on speakerphone. "Say again," he said.

_**It's asking for the password**_, Mickey told him.

I spoke, "Buffalo - two Fs, one L."

"You just know everything don't you?" the Doctor asked.

I smirked, "Would you have me any other way Nine?"

Distantly I heard Jackie say, _**So, what's that website?**_

There was more keys clicking before Mickey said, _**All the secret information known to mankind.**_ _**See, they've known about aliens for years, they just kept us in the dark. **_

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Mickey, you were born in the dark."

"Oh, leave him alone," Rose told him.

I could hear the smile in his voice as he said, _**Thank you. Password again.**_

"Just repeat it, every time," I told him. "And don't worry about him Mickey, he's just a confused old man."

"Oi!" The Doctor called whilst Rose and I laughed. The Doctor then asked aloud, "Big Ben - why did the Slitheen hit Big Ben?" the Doctor asked.

"You said to gather the experts - to kill them," Harriet reminded him.

I rolled my eyes, "That lot would've gathered for a weather balloon, you don't need to crash land in the middle of London."

Rose then spoke up, "The Slitheen were hiding - and then they put the entire planet on red alert, what would they do that for?"

_**Oh, listen to her**_, Jackie said, forgetting her daughter could hear her.

"At least I'm trying!" Rose snapped.

_**Well, I've got a question if you don't mind. Because since that man walked into our lives, I have been attacked in the streets. I have had creatures from the pits of hell in my own living room, and my daughter's friend disappeared off the face of the Earth.**_ Jackie said after snatching the phone from Mickey.

"I told you what happened," I reminded her.

_**I'm talking to him,**_ Jackie told me. _**'Cause I've seen this life of yours, Doctor. And maybe you get off on it. And maybe you think it's all clever and smart, but you tell me. Just answer me this - is my daughter safe?**_

The Doctor stared intently at the phone.

"I'm fine," Rose insisted.

_**Is she safe? Will she always be safe? Can you promise me that? **_ Jackie continued. The Doctor glanced up at Rose, who looked back at him. They stared at each other. _**Well, what's the answer? **_

There was a slight shuffle, what I assume was Mickey taking the phone from Jackie, this breaking the moment. _**We're in.**_

Let off the hook, the Doctor rushed around the table. "Right then - on the left, there's a tab - an icon - little concentric circles - click on that," he told him.

_**What is it?**_ he asked while doing so.

The Doctor then said, "The Slitheen have got a spaceship in the North Sea and it's transmitting that signal, now hush, let me work out what it's saying."

_**He'll have to answer me one day,**_ Jackie grumbled.

Mickey growled, _**Hush!**_

"It's some sort of message," the Doctor said.

"What's it say?" Rose asked.

The Doctor told her, "Don't know - it's on a loop, keeps repeating." The doorbell at Mickey's flat rang, interrupting the sound. "Hush!"

_**That's not me.**_ Mickey told us before saying to Jackie. _**Go and see who that is.**_

_**It's three o'clock in the morning,**_ Jackie complained.

Mickey then told her, _**Well go and tell them that.**_ I heard Jackie shuffle from the room.

"It's beaming out into space," the Doctor told us.

"Then who's it for?" I asked.

I heard doorbell rang more persistently. There was a soft creek as the door opened before it was slammed shut and there was pounding as Jackie ran back squealing. _**It's him! It's the thing, it's the Slickeen!**_

_**They've found us,**_ Mickey said.

"Mickey, I need that signal." The Doctor told him.

"Never mind the signal," Rose growled, "mum just get out! Get out! Get out!"

_**We can't, it's by the front door.**_ They picked up the phone and brought it with them, _**O**__**h, my God. It's unmasking. It's gonna kill us.**_

"There's got to be some way of stopping them!" Harriet cried. She turned to the Doctor. "You're supposed to be the expert, think of something!"

"I'm trying!" the Doctor told her.

We could hear what was going on in Mickey's flat, the worrying noises coming from the Slitheen.

_**I'll take it on, Jackie. You just run. Don't look back. Just run. **_We heard Mickey say before they hear the Slitheen smashing the door in.

"That's my mother." Rose reminded him.

"Jackie!" I called into the phone ignoring the look from the Doctor. "Go into Mickey's kitchen and find anything with vinegar in it. Put it in a bucket and toss it at the Slitheen. But stand back, it gets a little messy."

We heard them doing what I said over the phone while Harriet asked, "How did you know that?"

I looked to the Doctor, ignoring Harriet, and said, "I know the planet they're from. I thought that I shouldn't tell you at first. But then I realized that I should never keep information as important as this from you."

"Where are they from then?" Rose asked.

I kept my eyes on the Doctor as I said, "Raxacoricofallapatorius."

The Doctor smiled, "The only thing to stop them. Calcium, recombined with compression field - ascetic acid. Vinegar!"

"Just like Hannibal!" Harriet said.

"Just like Hannibal," The Doctor agreed. "Mickey, have you got any vinegar?"

_**How should I know?**_ Mickey asked.

"It's your kitchen."

Rose then told him, "Cupboard by the sink, middle shelf. "

Jackie snatched the phone from Mickey. _**Give it here, what do you need?**_

"Anything with vinegar!" I told them.

There was shuffling and clinks as Jackie began to do as I demanded. _**Gherkins!**_ _**Yeah! Pickled onions! Picked eggs!**_

The Doctor turned to Rose and asked, "You kiss this man?"

There was a crack as the Slitheen finally kicked down the door and entered the kitchen. There was a splash as Jackie, what I again assumed, chucked the vinegar all over it. There was a few seconds silence before the Slitheen exploded.

Having heard the bang, the Doctor, Rose, Harriet, and I all breathed a sigh of relief. Before Rose asked, "Hannibal?"

Harriet then explained, "Hannibal crossed the Alps by dissolving boulders with vinegar."

"Oh," Rose nodded. "Oh. Well, there you go then." All but I raise their glasses in toast, and drink. "Phew!"

I sat on the table in relief while the Doctor and Rose talked with Harriet. However, our relief was short lived when we heard Mickey's voice. _**Listen to this.**_

I flinched at the static sound that produced when the phone was held up to what I assumed to be a TV. _**Our inspectors have searched the sky above our heads and they have found massive weapons of destruction, capable of being deployed within 45 seconds.**_

The Doctor, Rose and Harriet are crowded around the phone, listening to him. The Doctor's hand rested on my knee as he questioned, "What?"

_**Our technicians can - baffle - the alien probes. But not for long. We are facing extinction. Unless we strike first. The United Kingdom stands directly beneath the belly of the mother ship. I beg the United Nations - pass an emergency resolution. Give us the access codes! A nuclear strike at the heart of the ship is our only chance of survival. Because... from this moment on... it is my solemn duty to inform you... planet Earth is at war.**_

"He's making it up," the Doctor said. "There's no weapons up there, there's no threat. He just invented it."

"Do you think they'll believe him?" Harriet asked.

"They did last time." Rose pointed out.

The Doctor nodded, "That's why the Slitheen went for spectacle. They want the whole world panicking, because you lot - you get scared, you lash out."

"They release the defence codes..." Rose said.

I nodded, "And the Slitheen go nuclear."

Harriet then asked, "But why?"

The Doctor turned and went to the metal shutters, opening them. The Slitheen stood standing outside the door. "You get the codes, release the missiles. But not into space because there's nothing there. You attack every other country on Earth, they retaliate, fight back. World War Three - whole planet gets nuked."

Margaret, still in her skin suit, stood before the Doctor. "And we can sit through it in our spaceship waiting in the Thames. Not crashed. Just parked. They'll be two minutes away."

"But you'll destroy the planet, this beautiful place. What for?" Harriet asked.

I came up besides the Doctor, "Profit. That's what the signal is beaming into space - an advertisement."

Margaret smiled, "Sale of the century. We reduce the Earth to molten slag, then sell it. Piece by piece. Radioactive chucks capable of powering every cut-price star liner and budget cargo ship. There's a recession out there, Doctor. People are buying cheap. This rock becomes raw fuel. "

"At the cost of 5 billion lives."

Margaret shrugged, "Bargain."

The Doctor glared, "Then I give you the choice - leave this planet or I'll stop you."

The Slitheen all burst out laughing. "What? You? Trapped in your box?"

The Doctor didn't look remotely abashed. He stared her out, ignoring the fact that she brought meinto this. "Yes. Me."

Margaret laughed again, but nervously. The Doctor fixed her in his gaze and closed the shutters.

We then heard what was still coming from Mickey's TV as a reporter spoke, _**Yesterday saw the start of a brave new world. Today might see it end. The streets are deserted. Everyone's home - just waiting. As the future is decided in New York. **_

Another voice then added, _**It's midnight here in New York. The United Nations has gathered. England has provided them with absolute proof that the massive weapons of mass destruction do exist. The security counsel will be making a resolution in a matter of minutes. And once the codes are released, humanity's first interplanetary war begins. **_

Jackie's voice filled the room again_**. **__**Alright, Doctor, Faline. I'm not saying I trust you, but there must be something you can do. **_

"If we ferment the porch, we could make ascetic acid." Harriet tried.

"Mickey any luck?" Rose asked knowing that he would have continued working.

_**There's loads of emergency numbers - they're all on voicemail. **_He told her.

The Doctor was standing quietly with his arms folded, leaning against the wall away from the other two. He was deep in thought. I sat on the table, my eyes locked on him, every once in a while our eyes would meet but then he turned away again.

"Voicemail dooms us all." Harriet said seriously.

"If we could just get out of here..." Rose sighed.

The Doctor then suddenly spoke, "There's a way out."

The two turned to him, "What?" Rose asked.

"There's always been a way out," I told her.

"Then why don't we use it?" the blonde asked.

The Doctor strode over to the table and leaned over to speak into the phone to Jackie. "Because I can't guarantee your daughter will be safe."

_**Don't you dare**_. Jackie growled. _**Whatever it is, don't you dare.**_

I sighed, "That's the thing," I told her. "If the Doctor doesn't dare, everyone dies."

"Do it," Rose commanded.

The Doctor looked up at her. "You don't even know what it is, you'd just let me?"

Rose shrugged with a smile, "Yeah." The Doctor stared at her.

_**Please, Doctor. Please! She's my daughter, she's just a kid!**_

The Doctor then asked, "Do you think I don't know that? Because this is my life, Jackie, it's not fun, it's not smart, it's just standing up and making a decision because nobody else will."

Rose then softly asked, "Then what're you waiting for?" The Doctor looked up at her again.

"I could save the world but lose you," he told her seriously. They stared intensely into each others eyes for a long moment until Rose averted her gaze with a shy smile. I watched for a moment before I turned away. It hurt to watch, and at that moment I knew I was falling for the Doctor. Falling hard and fast.

"Except it's not your decision, Doctor. It's mine." Harriet said, bringing their attention to her.

Jackie then growled, _**And who the hell are you?**_

"Harriet Jones, MP for Flydale North. The only elected representative in this room, chosen by the people, for the people, and on behalf of the people I command you. Do it."

The Doctor looked back at me and grinned.

Rose jumped onto the table sitting beside me. "How do we get out?"

Doctor opened the briefcase containing the emergency protocols. "We don't. We stay here." He opened the emergency protocols.

We could hear the television through the phone even though Mickey had taken the phone away long ago. _**The council is voting. The results should be known any second now.**_

The Doctor shuffled through the protocols and then turned to address Mickey however I beat him to it, "Use the buffalo password, it overrides everything." The Doctor gave me a look.

We heard Jackie ask Mickey, _**What're you doing?**_

I smiled at the tone of his voice as Mickey said, _**Hacking into the Royal Navy. **_After a moment he spoke to them. _**We're in. Here it is, uh... H.M.S. Taurean, Trafalgar Class Submarine, 10 miles off the coast of Plymouth. **_

The Doctor nodded, "Right, we need to select a missile."

_**We can't go nuclear, we don't have the defence codes.**_ Mickey told them.

I shook my head, "All we need is an ordinary missile. What's the first category?"

_**Sub Haffoon, UGMA4A. **_Mickey replied.

I nodded, "I like that one, good name. Select it."

Rose turned to me, "I thought you and the Doctor were against weapons."

"He is," I smirked. "I'm way more violent then you Rose. And I'm paranoid. I think of the worst in every situation possible. I just don't act on violence… often."

_**I could stop you. **_Jackie told Mickey.

_**Do it, then. **_

The Doctor waited a moment before asking them, "Ready for this?"

_**Yeah.**_

The Doctor smiled, "Mickey the Idiot. The world is in your hands. Fire." Breathing heavily, Mickey screws up his eyes and clicks the Fire button.

_**Oh, my God.**_ They heard Jackie breath.

Harriet tapped the steel shutters. "How solid are these?"

"Not solid enough, built for short range attack, nothing this big," he explained.

I smiled and jumped from the table. I walked to the cupboard and said, "Doctor help me get Indra out. Rose, Harriet, start taking out everything." I opened the door and grabbed Indra's ankles, pulling his dead weight. "We'll live if we get into the cupboard." Rose and Harriet hurried to do as I demanded while the Doctor helped me pull out Indra.

My head was almost level to the table so I could hear the news report still going. _**The vote is in. The counsel says... yes. They are releasing the codes. **_

"Nine," I called.

The Doctor nodded, "I heard."

_**It's on radar. Counter defence 556.**_ Mickey told them.

"Stop them intercepting it," the Doctor told him.

I then clapped my hands and said, "Alright. Everyone inside the cupboard."

Rose, the Doctor, Harriet, and I bundled into the cupboard. We crouched in a corner, Rose and Harriet either side of the Doctor while I sat wrapped in his arms.

"Nice knowing you all," Harriet said as we all grasped each other's hands. "Hannibal!" We braced themselves.

The cupboard shuddered violently and we were tossed around inside as the missile hit. The Doctor's strong body wrapped around me lessoned the impact I made with the walls. Why did the Doctor keep me wrapped within his arms? Slowly, all of us got out of the stilled cupboard. We were surrounded by the wreckage of what used to be 10 Downing Street.

Harriet looked around and with a smile said, "Made in Britain."

Sergeant Price hurried over to us. "Are you alright?"

Harriet then flashed her ID card at him, "Harriet Jones. MP, Flydale North. I want you to contact UN immediately, tell the ambassadors the crisis is over and they can step down. Go on, tell the news!"

Sergeant Price nodded, "Yes, ma'am." He then hurried away.

Harriet turned to the three, "Someone's got a hell of a job sorting this lot out. Oh, Lord! We haven't even got a Prime Minister!"

"Well, maybe you should have a go," the Doctor told her. I then smirked.

"Me?" Harriet laughed. "I'm only a back-bencher."

I smiled, "I think you'd be perfect for the job."

Rose nodded, "I'd vote for ya!"

"Now, don't be silly." Harriet said as the three of them grinned. "Look, I'd better go and see if I can help." She climbed over the rubble towards the crowd of people. The Doctor beamed at Rose and I. "Hang on!" Harriet shouted over to the crowd. "The Earth is safe! Sergeant!"

The Doctor, Rose, and I walked together. "I thought we knew the name." He watched Harriet hurry over to the cameras and ambulances. "Harriet Jones - future Prime Minister. Elected for three successive terms - the architect of Britain's Golden Age."

Harriet announced to the people, "The crisis has passed! Ladies and Gentlemen - I have something to say to you all!" Rose, the Doctor, and I watched her fondly from a distance. Then we turned and walked away. Harriet spoke to the camera. "Mankind stands tall - proud - and undefeated. God bless the human race." She beamed around at them all.

-x-x-x-

The Doctor and I entered the TARDIS, the Doctor looking very pleased with himself. He started the engines and grinned up at me. I smiled from where I sat on the pilot's seat. I took out my phone, that I had grabbed before first entering the cupboard, and texted the same number as before. _**I haven't officially met you yet. After that adventure I will text you and tell you. But for now, it's easier to explain to the Doctor, okay? –Faline**_

The text was quickly returned, _**Alright. Just tell me. Are you alright? – CJH**_

_**=) Yes. Promise. – Faline**_

"What are you smiling about?" the Doctor asked coming towards me.

"I just got a text from someone you haven't met yet. I had sent a personal message to them through someone and they replied. I just told them that until I met them with you they shouldn't text me, and that I'll text them when it happens."

The Doctor nodded and picked up the phone from the controls, dialing a number. I looked confused as he put the call on speaker.

_**Hello?**_ Rose asked.

"Right, we'll be a couple of hours, then we're leaving," the Doctor told her.

_**You've got a phone?**_ Rose asked.

"You think I can travel through space and time and I haven't got a phone?" The Doctor laughed. "Like I said, couple of hours... I've just got to send out this dispersal... There you go. That's cancelling out the Slitheen's advert in case any bargain hunters turn up."

_**My mother's cooking,**_ Rose told him.

"Good! Put her on a slow heat and let her simmer," the Doctor joked. He smiled at me and I returned it.

Rose smiled, _**She's cooking tea. For us.**_

The Doctor shook his head, "I don't do that."

I could almost hear Rose frown as she said, _**She wants to get to know you and Faline.**_

"Tough!" he said. "I've got better things to do!"

_**It's just tea. **_

"Not to me it isn't."

_**She's my mother.**_

"Well, she's not mine!"

_**That's not fair! Faline, tell him it's not fair.**_

I glanced at the Doctor before looking away and wrapping my arms around myself. The Doctor, not noticing my internal distress continued to talk. "Don't drag her into this," he told Rose. "You can stay there if you want and not go out with Faline like you both planned." He paused. "But right now there's this plasma storm brewing in the horse head nebula. Fires are burning 10 million miles wide. I could fly the TARDIS right into the heart of it then ride the shock wave all the way out - hurtle right across the sky and end up anywhere." There was another pause. "Your choice."

He hung up the phone, pausing for a second before then going back to the console. I sighed and jumped from my seat. "Well, I guess I'll just take Rose now." I walked from the TARDIS, not giving the Doctor the chance to speak. Once outside I ran to Rose's flat and entered with a knock, "Rose! Come, let us shop!"

Rose rushed to me. "Are you sure about this?" she asked.

I smiled, "Of course." I then saw Jackie. "Hello Mrs. Tyler. I'm sorry I cant stay right now. I'm going to steal Rose for a few hours, just for normal British shopping. I promise the TARDIS will not move from it's place." I grabbed Rose's hand and pulled her from her home, "Bye!"

-x-x-x-

Rose and I ended up shopping for longer then we had thought. We also spent more then we thought, but that hadn't been a problem. When we went to check out the clerk said that our order was paid for and that next time we shopped here to use the card he handed me. It said my first name on it but the last name 'Harkness'. Immediately I texted Jack and asked him about it, he however answered, _**Don't worry about it. I set it up for you such a long time ago that I forgot until now. Money has been going into it since then. It's a gift, Kitten –CJH. **_After that I didn't bother and returned home with Rose after we separated our things and gave Jackie the gifts I had gotten for her.

We exited the flats and walked to the Doctor, me holding three duffle bags filled with clothes and trinkets. I saw the Doctor and Mickey holding a conversation by the dumpsters. The two walked over. The Doctor sarcastically asked, "Got enough stuff?"

I laughed, "Shut up. I wanted to have fun. Besides, I got you some things too. But they're for later on." I smirked to myself. I had gotten him a pair of red converse, choosing two sizes bigger than me, a few bowties, and a fez. Rose had asked why but I didn't tell her. She didn't need to know about his regeneration styles. I opened the TARDIS doors with my key, pulling rather than pushing, and tossed my bags inside. Knowing they're going to end up in my room eventually.

I came back outside and hugged Rose, Jackie, and Mickey. "The Doctor may not want to, or like to, but we're going to come back to visit. Next time is a spa day and Jackie, your joining us." I pulled away and smiled. "I'll miss you guys. And Mickey, you better take care of Rose or I'm coming back to kick you ass." Rose hugged me one last time before the Doctor stepped into the TARDIS with me.

**THE END**


	6. 1x06

**1x06 "Dalek"**

It's been three adventures since we were last on London, Earth, 2005. During those adventures everything went relatively smooth, except for when the Doctor, literally, ran into a couple of rouge Weevils in 1842 Australia. He had told me their real name, but after watching Torchwood for so long, they will always be Weevils to me. I walked out of the hallway to see the Doctor pulled a final lever and the TARDIS materialized at our new destination. Before this trip I ended up getting covered in some sort of slimy substance that I did _not_ want to know the origin of. So, I took a nice long shower and changed into the clothes the TARDIS picked out for me. She really was amazing. The clothes she picked weren't something that I would normally call my style but I liked them. I ended up in a white off the shoulder t-shirt with a red heart on the chest, ripped skinny jeans, and red converse. I left my hair down and let it get wavy; I was surprised how nice the after effect was when normally it frizzed like you wouldn't believe.

I smiled at the Doctor and walked down the ramp with him. He opened the door while I asked, "So where are we today?"

"Earth, Utah, North America. About half a mile underground," he said.

I nodded to myself. "First adventure in the States. Awesome. Year?"

"2012," the Doctor said.

I smiled, "Cool. I'd be 19 in my own world."

The Doctor gave me a slight frown, "How old would you have been when I picked you up?"

I shrugged, "Just barely 13. Now, what's the why?"

The Doctor shrugged brushing off what is said about my age, "Don't know, some kind of distress signal drawing the TARDIS off course."

I frowned slightly. "Distress signal?" I muttered to myself. It was then that I looked down the long hallway we were in. There were multiple glass cases filled with, what I could tell from where I stood, alien artifacts. The Doctor used the sonic screwdriver on the lights, turning them all on.

I stayed silent as the Doctor spoke to himself. "An alien museum," the Doctor said. "Someone's got a hobby. They must've spent a fortune on this. Chunks of meteorite, moon dust... that's the milometer from the Roswell Spaceship." He passed the exhibits as he named them. He noticed a Slitheen arm in one case. He moved to another holding the head of a Cyberman.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and asked, "So the distress signal," my voice quivered, "it's not coming from anything here?"

"No, everything's stone dead. The signal's alive. Something's reaching out." The Doctor continued to stare intently through the glass. He paused before saying, "Calling for help. Crying for it."

"Doctor," I said coming beside him. I grabbed his arm when he was about to touch the casing. "Let's go. We don't need to be here."

"We need to help them," he said.

I shook my head, "No. We don't. Trust me on this Doctor, please. Just let it die."

"I can't do that."

"If you knew what was down there you would," I whispered.

The Doctor turned to me fully, "And you know. Tell me."

I shook my head, tears slipping down my cheeks. "I know so much about you Doctor. And I know what might happen if you knew what was down there. Please. Let's just leave here. It doesn't need us."

The Doctor frowned, "That's the first time you've called anything 'it'. It's either been by its name, a name you chose, or by a gender."

I glared at the floor, "That's because what'd down there is an _it_. It has no purpose. It has no gender. It just exists, and god I wish it didn't."

The Doctor grabbed my arms softly, "Faline. Tell me."

I shook my head, "No Doctor. Just trust me on this. You aren't needed here. If we leave we can save so many lives. Please. Don't let that _thing_ out." I turned away, only to turn back as an alarm went off. The Doctor had his hand placed on the glass of the Cyberman. "Doctor," I whispered, tears falling faster. Soldiers surrounded us, all pointing guns. "I'm sorry." I wrapped my arms around his waist and hugged him. "I'm sorry, so sorry. God if you only knew how sorry I was Doctor."

-x-x-x-

We were escorted by a woman that looked to be in her mid twenties. She had introduced herself as Diana Goddard, apparently she was the right hand to the man we were about to see. She led us into his office room. The man, Henry Van Statten, whose name I got from the plate sitting on his desk, was speaking to another man not much older than myself.

"What does it do?" Van Statten asked as he took something he clearly thought to be a weapon from the younger man. I glared at the man and clutched the Doctor's hand tightly.

The younger man began to describe what he thought it was, "Well you see, the tubes on the side must be to channel something, I think maybe fuel..."

"I really wouldn't hold it like that," the Doctor told them with a smirk.

"Shut it," Diana growled.

The Doctor looked at her and then back at Van Statten, "Really, though, that's wrong."

"Is it dangerous?" the younger man asked.

The Doctor shook his head and told him, "No. Just looks silly." He holds his hand out for the artifact. Security readied their guns. Van Statten holds up a hand to stop them and hands the object to the Doctor. The Doctor then ran his fingers over the artifact. It began to play a note, much like a harmonica, note after note he played until it came out as a beautiful tune. The Doctor smiled at me as he said, "You just need to be delicate." I gave the Doctor a weak smile and he frowned. Please Doctor, understand that this hurts me so much. The Doctor beamed around at them all whilst he played.

The song came to an end and Van Statten said, "It's a musical instrument."

The Doctor nodded, "And it's a long way from home."

Van Statten stood from his seat, "Here, let me." He grabbed the instrument from the Doctor. I shared a glance with the Doctor as the instrument made a growling beep.

The Doctor said, "I did say 'delicate'. Reacts to the smallest fingerprint." Van Statten couldn't play it first, the poor instrument making a series of beeps as it was misused. "It needs precision," the Doctor hinted. Van Statten touched it more gently and it played a few notes. The Doctor smiled. "Very good," the Doctor told him. "Quite the expert."

Van Statten gave a slight nod to me, "As are you." He then tossed the instrument aside, where it landed somewhere on the floor. The Doctor, the younger man, and my own eyes follow it, slightly alarmed. "Who exactly are you?"

The Doctor looked back at Van Statten with a new, slightly disdainful look in his eye. "I'm the Doctor," he introduced himself. "And who are you?"

Van Statten rolled his eyes, "Like you don't know. We're hidden away with the most valuable collection of extra-terrestrial artifacts in the world and you just stumbled in by mistake."

"Pretty much sums me up, yeah," the Doctor agreed.

"The question is, how did you get in? 53 floors down. With your little cat burglar accomplice," his eyes locked on me before switching back and forth between the two of us. "Quite a collector yourself, she's rather pretty."

I glared at the man, "I hope you know, that I want you to fall into the deepest hole and get lost for what is going to happen."

Van Statten eyed the Doctor, "She's feisty too!" He turned to the younger man, "Hey, little Lord Fauntleroy - got you a girlfriend." He then looked back to me, "What about you darlin' you gonna say anything else?"

I glared at him, "Ya I am. Fu-" I didn't get to finish because the Doctor placed his hand over my mouth. I glared at him and licked his hand; he was unfazed by the action.

The young man then told us, "This is Mr Henry Van Statten."

Once the Doctor removed his hand I said, "No one gives a rat's ass who the hell this dick is."

"Mr Van Statten owns the Internet," he supplied.

I sighed heavily, "Doctor I'm gonna hurt someone in a minute. It's either gonna be Van Statten or this guy," I pointed to the young man, "either way it wont be my finest moment."

The Doctor placed his hand on my shoulder trying to calm me, but I was anything but calm. "So you're an expert on just about everything except the things in your museum. Anything you don't understand, you lock up."

"What he has down there should _stay_ locked up," I muttered so only the Doctor heard.

Van Statten gave the Doctor a look, "And you claim greater knowledge?"

The Doctor smirked, "I don't need to make claims, I know how good I am."

"And yet, I captured you. Right next to the Cage," Van Statten paused. "What were you doing down there?"

"You tell me," the Doctor said.

"The cage contains my one living specimen," Van Statten said.

The Doctor then asked, "And what's that?"

"Like you don't know."

"Show us," the Doctor said grabbing my hand.

I removed my hand from his, "No," I said softly. The Doctor turned to me. "Your going to go no matter what I say. I _know_ you Doctor. But I can't go down there with you. I'm not going to see what that _thing_ does to you. But know that I am eternally sorry and that I wish you'd listen to me."

Van Statten smirked, not noticing my distress. "You wanna see it?"

Van Statten turned to Diana, "Goddard - inform the Cage. We're heading down." Diana nodded and left. Van Statten then turned to the younger man. "You - English. Look after the girl. Canoodle or spoon, or whatever it is you British do. And you - Doctor with no name..." Van Statten went to stand by the lift, "Come and see my pet." The Doctor followed him.

I turned to the younger man, wiping away my tears. I held out my hand, "Faline."

He gave a smile and said, "Adam," while shaking my hand.

I walked over to the musical device that Van Statten had thrown away like a piece of trash. I picked it up and ran my fingertips over it. Soft music played through the holes. I smiled softly, a tear falling down my cheek. "The one pure thing on this whole trip," I muttered to myself. I tucked the musical device in my pocket. Maybe keeping this will remind me, don't keep secrets this big from the Doctor.

-x-x-x-

Adam brought me to his little workshop. Even though I didn't like him very much I used him as a distraction from what pain I knew the Doctor to be going through. Adam's workshop was littered with alien technology and parts. "Sorry about the mess. Mr Van Statten sort of lets me do my own thing. So long as I deliver the goods..." I touched a few objects. "What do you think - that is?"

Adam handed me an object, I barley looked at it before saying, "A lump of metal."

Adam nodded slightly, "Yeah. Yeah, but I think- well, I'm almost certain - it's from the hull of a spacecraft." I placed the metal down as Adam continued, "The thing is, it's all true. Everything the United Nations tries to keep quiet - spacecrafts - aliens - visitors to Earth - they really exist."

I sighed. "Amazing," I suppose I sounded interested because Adam kept talking.

"I know it sounds incredible, but I honestly believe that the whole universe is teeming with life."

I nodded, "Yeah. So you just sit here in you little room and catalogue it?"

Adam smiled, "Best job in the world. I'd give anything to travel amongst the stars and see it for real. But I don't think it's ever gonna happen - not in our lifetimes."

I smiled, "Yeah. Probably not." I looked around a moment longer before asking, "So, how'd you end up here working for a dick like him?"

"Van Statten has agents all over the world looking for geniuses to recruit," he said.

"You your that genius," I said.

Adam smiled, "Sorry, but yeah... can't help it, I was born clever. When I was eight, I logged onto the US Defence System - nearly caused World War Three."

I smirked, "What, and that's funny is it?"

"Well you should've been there! Just to see them running about! Fantastic!"

I gave a soft smile and said, "You sound like the Doctor."

Adam was quiet a moment before asking, "Are you and him...?"

I looked away, "No. We're just friends. Well, more like I think he feels obligated to take care of me because the day he arrived my parents disappeared. He thinks it's his fault, so he takes care of me. But I don't need to be taken care of like he thinks. The Doctor is everything that normal people aren't, that I'm not. And that's what makes him so amazing."

"Your in love with him," Adam said softly.

I shrugged, "I haven't figured it out yet myself. But I know the Doctor so well. I know how he's going to change and how he's going to react to what's in the Cage better than he does."

"So," Adam said slowly. "Do I have a chance?"

I gave him a soft smile, "Sorry, but no. I think that after traveling with the Doctor I'm ruined for anyone. But it's really sweet that your willing to like me like that. Not many people back home are."

"Where's home for you?" he asked.

"Connecticut," I said. "but I met the Doctor in London, not too far from my hotel. And then I met my friend Rose, her boyfriend Mickey, and her mother Jackie. So every time I need to relax I just go to them."

"Sounds like fun," he said.

I gave him a smile, "It is." Adam then turned to his computer and began typing in something. "What are you doing?"

Adam smirked, "You'll see."

I frowned and then paled when I saw the screen. Adam brought up the surveillance to the Cage. A man approached the Dalek and began to torture it with one of the devices. The Dalek screamed.

Adam looked alarmed, "It's being tortured!"

"Good," I whispered.

Adam jumped up, "We have to stop it." He then ran from the room.

"Adam!" I ran after him. I wasn't about to let him anywhere near that Dalek. I didn't want to go anywhere near that thing, but what would happen if Adam touched it? The man in the room with the Dalek had been wearing protective gear. What would the Dalek do to Adam if he went in just the way he was? My heart pounded at the thought. I wasn't going to let Adam near the Dalek.

-x-x-x-

I followed Adam into the lobby outside of the Cage. A guard tried to stop Adam, "Hold it right there!"

Adam flashed his ID saying, "Level three access. Special clearance from Mr Van Statten."

"Adam," I started as the Cage door opened. "Don't do this. Don't go in there." Of course he didn't listen to me. I growled to myself and followed him inside.

I froze when I saw the Dalek. The destroyer of the Doctor's world, the killer of so many. If it had been any other alien I would have let the Doctor save it. It could have been one of the Doctor's enemies and I would have told him. But this was a Dalek. This was a creature so vile that I didn't have the heart, the guts, to tell the Doctor exactly what was down here. If I had, maybe we would have left, or at least he would have been more cautions and just killed it.

Adam began to walk towards the Dalek. "Adam," I said sternly. "Don't get too close."

"This is amazing," Adam said. "This is amazing Faline." Adam turned to me with a smile. "You think your Doctor friend has seen this?"

I glared at the Dalek, "Oh he's seen it alright. Now Adam. Please, move away. It's dangerous." The Dalek's eyestalk followed me as I moved. Adam turned towards me for a moment but then moved to touch the Dalek. "Adam no!" I rushed towards him. With the same force I used to pull his arm away he pushed me forward. I slammed into the Dalek, my skin hitting against its metal body. Immediately I pulled away, pushing myself up from the ground where I landed after hitting it.

"**GENETIC MATERIAL EXTRAPOLATED - INITIATE CELLULAR RECONSTRUCTION!**" the Dalek cried. It burst out of its chains with a new lease on life. Sparks flew from it as the guard entered the room.

Tears flew down me cheeks. "What the hell have you done?" the guard growled. He approached the Dalek. The Dalek pointed its sucker at the guard. "Whatcha gonna do? Sucker me to death?" The Dalek proceeded to do just that. It placed the sucker over the guard's face and I could hear his skull cracking as it sucked inwards.

I ran outside the Cage with Adam. I turned to the other guard and said, "It's killing him! Do something!"

The second guard spoke over the intercom, "_Condition red! Repeat, condition red! This is not a drill!_"

Adam turned to me and said, "This is all your fault."

I stared at him with wide eyes as tears flew down my cheeks. I knew it was all my fault, but he didn't have to rub it in. I shouldn't have gone down there. I should have just let Adam suffer the consequences of touching the Dalek. Now I knew that I should tell the Doctor something important like this. All the blood that spills following this event is on my hands now.

-x-x-x-

The second guard connected a video connection between where we were and to, what I can only assume to be, Van Statten's office. I couldn't bare to look at the Doctor, not that I could see him on the monitor. _**You've got to keep it in that cell**_, the Doctor said.

The second guard nodded, "I've sealed the compartment."

The Doctor must have seen Adam because he said, _**You. Faline was with you. Where is she?**_

I wrapped my arms around myself as Adam spoke, "She's crying. She was the one to give it all that power to wake up."

I sobbed as the guard blocking me from view moved away. "I'm so sorry Doctor," other than that small sentence no words passed my lips. My crying began to keep me from speaking.

The second guard spoke again, "It can't get out of the Cage, that lock's got a billion combinations."

I shook my head as the Doctor's voice filtered through. _**The Dalek's a genius. It can calculate a thousand billion combinations in one second flat.**_

Other security stood in front of the doors. I backed up, pulling Adam with me. The doors opened and the second guard cried, "Open fire!" They began to fire at the Dalek. If I weren't so distraught I would have covered my ears at the noise.

I could just barley hear Van Statten order, _**Don't shoot it, I want it unharmed! **_

Then the Doctor called, ___**Faline**__**, get out of there!**_

The Dalek advanced on us, the bullets having no affect on it. The second guard turned to the only female guard. "De Maggio - take the civilians and get them out alive. That is your job, got that?"

De Maggio nodded and turned to Adam and I, "You - with me." We followed her. I took one last glance at the men standing there, fighting for their lives. This was all my fault.

-x-x-x-

We followed De Maggio through the labyrinth of halls. She led us past a bunch of security guards calling, "Civilians! Let them through!" We then ran past them and I looked back again as they disappeared from view.

Somehow I was able to run past De Maggio and Adam, leading the way. I entered the stairwell and began running up their stairs. However, I heard Adam stop. I turned back. "Come on!" I shouted.

"Why it can go up stairs?" Adam asked as De Maggio came to join him.

"IT CAN FLY!" I screamed as I began to bolt up the stairs. I heard Adam and De Maggio behind me. "De Maggio!" I called to her. "Don't sacrifice yourself for us. Just run. Please."

"It's coming! Get up!" De Maggio said, ignoring my statement.

We continued up the stairs but I noticed Adam stopped to watch the Dalek as it stopped at the foot of the stairs. Adam then began to mock it, "Great big alien death machine. Defeated by a flight of stairs."

De Maggio stopped and pointed her gun at the Dalek. "Don't stop running!" I yelled at them as I turned back and grabbed De Maggio's arm. I tugged her up with me and we kept running.

Not soon after we made it up another flight of stairs did we hear, "**EL-EV-ATE.**"

De Maggio ran in front of me and used her keycard to open the door, she held it for Adam and I before running with us. My hand grabbed for De Maggio's and held it. I had to save someone. This was all my fault, but I was going to save her.

-x-x-x-

The three of us ran right into an open area, where we could see other soldiers and guards holding their guns at us. "Hold your fire!" a man called as De Maggio pulled me through the open area. Adam followed closely behind. We stopped just outside the door as the Dalek came into view. We waited and watched it. The Dalek also stopped and focused in our direction. I shivered at the piercing stare I was receiving. I tugged De Maggio's hand and the three of us moved from our place.

"It was looking at you," Adam growled.

I glared at him, "I don't care. We have to keep going."

Adam stopped and grabbed my arm, pulling De Maggio and I to a stop too. "No. It looked right at you, like it knew you."

"It recognizes me as the one that woke it up," I said softly. "But that wont matter if we die here."

-x-x-x-

De Maggio led us up another stairwell when my phone began to ring. I pulled it out as I ran and answered, ignoring the glare from Adam as I did so, "Not the time."

"_**Where are you?**_" the Doctor asked.

"De Maggio where are we?" I asked her as she opened another doorway to let us out.

"Level 49," she said as she closed the door behind us.

"Level 49," I relayed.

I heard a slight typing noise before the Doctor said, "_**You've got to keep moving - the vault's being sealed off, bulkhead level 46.**_"

"Can you stop it?" I asked.

"_**I'm the one who's closing them. I can't wait and I can't help you. Now for God's sake, run.**_" The phone went silent but I knew I was still on the line so I placed the phone on speaker and held it.

"We have to get to level 46 or we're sealed in," I told De Maggio as she led us to another staircase.

"46?" De Maggio confirmed.

"Yes," I answered.

-x-x-x-

My heart pounded in my chest as we rounded a corner on level 46. I held my phone to my mouth and said, "Just give us two seconds Doctor."

Right after I spoke the bulkhead began to lower. Adam was nearly there but I was falling behind. De Maggio turned to me and yelled, "Come on!" I looked at the young guard's face and pushed myself faster. De Maggio and I saw Adam manage to roll underneath the bulkhead and I used De Maggio's distraction. I dropped my phone and pushed her under the bulkhead just before it closed.

I slammed my hand against the bulkhead before turning and picking up my phone when I heard the Doctor. "_**Faline, where are you? Faline, did you make it?**_"

I leaned against the bulkhead, taking a few steading breaths before saying. "You know that I'm sorry this happened right Doctor?"

"_**Yes, yes, did you make it?**_"

"Doctor seriously," I said softly. "You know how I never wanted this to happen. I wish that I could go back and stop myself from following Adam down there and keeping him from touching the Dalek." I gave a soft laugh. "But that would cause a paradox wouldn't it Nine?"

I heard the Doctor's voice soften, "_**I know your sorry Faline. I'm sorry too, I should have listened to you. Now tell me. Did. You. Make. It?**_"

"No," I whispered. "But I saved De Maggio from dying with me. That counts for something, right Doctor?" Tears began to cascade down my cheeks. He didn't say anything. I looked down the hall and locked eyes on the Dalek. My voice trembled as I said, "Remember Doctor. Please remember, that this isn't your fault. It was my choice to come, even though I knew what would happen. So please Doctor. Don't blame yourself." I quickly turned off the phone and closed my eyes, turning my head away.

"**EXTERMINATE!**" the Dalek growled.

There was a long moment before I opened my eyes and looked at the Dalek. "Kill me. It's what your best at." The Dalek made no move to do so.

"**I AM ARMED. I WILL KILL. IT IS MY PURPOSE.**" The Dalek said.

I glared at it, "They all died because of you!"

"**THEY ARE DEAD BECAUSE OF US.**"

I sobbed and then growled, "What are you waiting for?"

"**I FEEL YOUR FEAR.**"

"Yes," I said.

"**DALEKS DO NOT FEAR. MUST NOT FEAR.**" The Dalek shot its death ray wildly at the wall on either side of my before continuing. It sounded hysterical, even scared. "**YOU GAVE ME LIFE. WHAT ELSE HAVE YOU GIVEN ME? I AM CONTAMINATED!**"

I glared at it. "So what are you going to do about that?"

The Dalek turned from me and tapped into the cameras, as I stood off to the side, to terrified to move away. I knew that the Dalek wasn't going to kill me because of the connection we now held, but that didn't stop me from trembling. I stared into the face of something that was the cause of so much death, a being that held no remorse for what it had done. I'm sure that even if I knew all of this was a dream I would still act the same. The fear of such a being overwhelmed me, just like my need to protect the Doctor only a few hours before. The Dalek moved to my side and spoke, "**OPEN THE BULKHEAD OR FALINE DIES.**"

I couldn't see the Doctor, but I could see him. _**You're alive!**_ He cried.

I gave a soft chuckle, "Ya. I guess your stuck with me."

_**I thought you were dead.**_ The Doctor said softly.

"**OPEN THE BULKHEAD!**" the Dalek growled causing me to flinch.

"Doctor, don't you dare." I told him. "Don't."

"**WHAT USE ARE EMOTIONS IF YOU WILL NOT SAVE THE WOMAN YOU LOVE?**" the Dalek growled. I bit my lip and turned away. I'm almost positive that the Dalek was taking _my_ love for the Doctor and using it against him, thinking it was reciprocated. It wasn't, but how I wish it were true. My heart ached at the thought of the Doctor never loving me like I loved him. I was paranoid, and don't think I'm worth being loved by anyone. But if the Doctor could care for me half as much as he did Rose in the series, I would accept it.

The bulkhead opened and the Dalek began moving forward. I slowly followed it. It led me to a elevator, the same one that the Doctor and I used to get to Van Statten's office. I watched the Dalek as it's 'ray gun' arm twitched slightly. "Please don't kill them," I asked. "You haven't killed me yet."

The Dalek spun its eyepiece around to look at me so fast I had to duck out of the way to avoid getting hit or touched again. "**BUT WHY NOT? WHY ARE YOU ALIVE? MY FUNCTION IS TO KILL. WHAT AM I? WHAT AM I?**"

The elevator doors opened and I immediately saw Van Statten, "Stay still and don't do anything stupid. It isn't sure what to do anymore."

The Dalek advanced on Van Statten, "**VAN STATTEN. YOU TORTURED ME. WHY?**"

Van Statten backed away, terrified, "I wanted to help you, I just- I don't know, I - I was just trying to help. I thought if we could get through to you, if we could mend you- I wanted you better, I'm sorry." The Dalek continued to advance on Van Statten, until the man was backed against the wall. Van Statten's voice rose as he continued, "I'm so sorry! I swear! I just wanted you to talk!"

"**THEN HEAR ME TALK NOW. EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!**" Van Statten winced. "**EXTERMINATE!**"

"Don't!" I yelled. "Don't kill him!" The Dalek spun to face me. "You don't have to kill anymore. You don't have to do what others tell you. You can do what _you_ want. What do you want?"

The Dalek looked between Van Statten and I before staring at me, "**I WANT FREEDOM.**"

The Dalek and I returned to the elevator and were brought to level 01. It led me down a hallway beofer stopping. The Dalek fired its death ray at the ceiling, making a hole through which sunlight floods, shining on the Dalek.

I gave the Dalek a weak smile, "You have what you wanted." My attention turned to the sunlight.

"**HOW... DOES... IT... FEEL?**" the Dalek asked. I turned to the Dalek to see it open it's casing to reveal the mutated creature it was. It stretched its feelers towards the light and it was all I could do to keep my mouth from dropping in shock. The creature, whose race was responsible for so much death, was like a child seeing something for the first time.

"Get out of the way!" I turned to see the Doctor coming towards the Dalek and I with a gun in his hands. I was in the way of hitting the Dalek, and was in so much shock from seeing a Dalek act this way and the Doctor resorting to using guns to move. "Faline, get out of the way, now!"

Slowly I shook my head, "No Doctor."

He glared at me, "That thing killed hundreds of people."

The Doctor gestured towards the Dalek with the weapon and I flinched, "But it's not pointing a gun at me now is it?"

"I've got to do this. I've got to end it. The Daleks destroyed my home, my people. I've got nothing left."

"I know," I said softly and began to edge to the side. "But look at it Doctor."

The Doctor watched as the Dalek moved its feelers towards the sunlight. The Doctor dropped the gun slightly and asked, "What's it doing?"

"It just wants 'freedom'," I said. "It wants the sunlight."

The Doctor's voice shook as he said, "But it can't..."

"I didn't kill Van Statten," I told him. "It couldn't kill me. This one is different, changing." I stepped towards the Doctor, taking the gun and pushing it down slightly. "Don't become like a Dalek, Doctor."

The Doctor finally lowered his gun, looking completely lost. He choked on his tears, "I couldn't..." I started at him as he tried again, "I wasn't..." He looked to the Dalek and then back at me. "Oh, Faline. They're all dead."

"**WHY DO WE SURVIVE?**" the Dalek suddenly asked.

"I don't know."

"**I AM THE LAST OF THE DALEKS.**"

The Doctor shook his head, "You're not even that. Faline did more than regenerate you. You absorbed her DNA. You're mutating."

"**INTO WHAT?**"

"Something new. I'm sorry."

"**I CAN FEEL SO MANY IDEAS. SO MUCH DARKNESS... FALINE... GIVE ME ORDERS! ORDER ME TO DIE.**" It closed its eye and I looked to the Doctor, unsure of what to do. And this was also his choice, this was a Dalek. Concerning Daleks, was always the Doctor's decision. "**THIS IS NOT LIFE. THIS IS SICKNESS.**" The Doctor gave a slight nod. "**I SHALL NOT BE LIKE YOU. ORDER MY DESTRUCTION! OBEY! OBEY! OBEY!**"

I bit my lip, sucking on the lip ring before saying, "Do it."

"**ARE YOU FRIGHTENED, FALINE?**" the Dalek asked.

I nodded, "Yes."

"**SO AM I.**" It paused before saying, "**EXTERMINATE.**"

I wrapped my arms around the Doctor as the Dalek replaced its armor. It levitated into the air and the golden knobs detached themselves to surround the Dalek in a perfect sphere. The Dalek began to glow and I turned away, pushing my face into the Doctor's chest as he wrapped his arms around my waist. I flinched when I heard the Dalek explode, but didn't bother to look.

After a moment, the tears came. My hands fisted the back of his leather jacket and sobbed. The Doctor shushed me softly as I cried. "Shh, Faline. Its okay."

"I'm sorry Doctor," I sobbed. "This is all my fault. I should have told you the Dalek was there. I should have stopped Adam from going down there. If I had just told you the truth then all of those soldiers would have been alive to go home to their families. He was right, this is all my fault."

The Doctor pulled me from his arms and looked at me. Note my sarcasm when I say that I looked great. My hair was messy, my cheeks stained with tears, and my eyes red and puffy. "Who told you it was your fault?"

"A-Adam," I cried. "I kept him from touching the Dalek and I must have tripped or something because I fell into the Dalek." The Doctor shook his head and wrapped me back in his arms. "Please don't hate me Doctor."

"I don't hate you," he said softly, petting the back of my head. "And its not your fault. I could see that you didn't want to stay here but I wanted to see what was here for myself. When I saw the Dalek I knew that I should have listened to you and that whatever was going to happen next you knew about." He paused. "Besides, you sacrificed yourself for De Maggio."

I yanked myself away from the Doctor and asked, "Is she okay?"

The Doctor nodded. "She's fine. A little upset that she couldn't protect you, but otherwise fine." The Doctor took my hand, "Come on," he said. "Let's go home."

The Doctor led me back to the elevator. I kept his hand in mine, not wanting to let go. Not that the Doctor made any motion to release my hand either. Eventually the elevator brought us to the floor we began on. The Doctor brought me to the TARDIS and I gave a weak smile. The Doctor placed his hand other hand on her, looking pensive. "Little piece of home. Better than nothing."

I smiled at him, "Without your TARDIS, there would be no Doctor. So I'm happy that she's with you."

The Doctor smirked, "I'm the only one left. I win. How about that." I bit my lip ring and turned away. "Faline," the Doctor said. "Am I?"

"You've met the Master before, what's to say that there aren't other Time Lords that escaped the Time War. But then what's to say the same about Daleks." I smiled at him trying to lighten the mood, "Besides, there are ways to make more Time Lords."

"What?" the Doctor asked shocked.

"Well, you can a) get someone pregnant or b) another anomaly that caused the Time Lords' existence could happen again and there could be more." I patted his shoulder, "Besides, its not like your ever alone. I don't plan on going anywhere anytime soon. And if I ever do you still have three very feisty women that would come in later on."

"I thought you weren't going to tell me about my future," the Doctor said.

I began to tease him, "Doctor. You've rarely had a male companion, and if you do there's another female with him at the same time. So even if I didn't know your future, just knowing _you_ tells me that."

I turned when I heard someone running towards us. I watched with a straight face as Adam came to us. Glancing at the Doctor, I could see that his face was anything but straight. He frowned at Adam, almost glaring at him. I ignored the Doctor's look as Adam began to speak, "We'd better get out. Van Statten's disappeared... they're closing down the base." The Doctor folded his arms. "Goddard says they're going to fill it full of cement! Like it never existed!"

I smirked, "Good. This place never should have existed."

Adam frowned, "I'll have to go back home."

"Better hurry up then," the Doctor almost growled. "Next flight to Heathrow leaves at 1500 hours."

"Well," Adam said slowly, "maybe I could go with the two of you."

The Doctor turned to me and said, "Get inside." I looked at the Doctor for a long moment before nodding. I slipped the TARDIS key out from under my shirt and unlocked the doors. I stepped inside and then ran to the console. The TARDIS showed me what was going on through the viewing screen.

The Doctor moved towards Adam and growled,_ "__**You left Faline on the other side of the block**__."_

Adam frowned,_ "__**I had to. And no matter what she would have sacrificed herself for that soldier anyways.**__"_

"_**You told her it was all her fault,**__" _the Doctor growled.

"_**What?**__" _Adam asked pretending to act confused._ "__**I don't know what you're talking about.**__"_

"_**You do,**__" _the Doctor growled._ "__**Don't lie to me.**__"_

Adam's eyes darkened,_ "__**So what? It's true. That little bitch was the cause of all of this.**__"_

The Doctor moved closer and said,_ "__**Don't you **_**dare**_** call Faline that.**__" _The Doctor moved away and opened the TARDIS door with his own key._ "__**Better get out while you still have the chance.**__"_

I moved away from the screen and watched as the Doctor came into the TARDIS. I smiled at the Doctor and he returned it. The Doctor came over and pulled a few levers, pushed a few buttons, and soon the TARDIS disappeared.

**END**


	7. 1x07

**1x07 "The Long Game"**

After the issues we had dealing with the Dalek the Doctor thought that we should go somewhere relatively easy. Somewhere that didn't have anything horrible going on. However when with the Doctor, trouble seams to follow you everywhere. The TARDIS landed and the familiar sound of her engines slowed to a stop. The Doctor and I walked out of the big blue box.

I giggled to myself causing the Doctor to turn to me, "What?" he asked.

"The TARDIS," I said with a smile. "Old, New, Borrowed, and Blue." He looked at me in confusion and I said, "You'll understand later on. Anyways, where and when are we?"

The Doctor took a quick glance around here and said, "So, it's 200,000, it's a spaceship... no wait a minute, space station, and uh... go and try that gate over there. Off you go!"

I frowned at the Doctor, "Trying to get rid of me? Got a hot date running around somewhere?" I smiled as he flushed. "I'm joking. Though they could turn down the heating here." I waved the bottom of my heart shirt. I took the Doctor's hand and walked with him to the 'gate' he had gestured to before. "Come Doctor. Let us find danger and excitement!"

"The point of this trip is to be calm," the Doctor said.

I gave him a look, "Then send me to a Sunday on Earth. But seeing as we're here I'm going to take what we've got."

When I practically dragged the Doctor to the observation room I stood still by the door, watching the Earth. "Oh my god," I muttered as I moved forward. I held onto the support railings, gripping so tightly my knuckles turned white.

The Doctor came beside me saying, "The fourth great and bountiful human empire. And there it is. Planet Earth at it's height. Covered with mega-cities, five moons - population 96 billion. The hub of a galactic domain, stretching across a million planets, a million species - with mankind right in the middle."

"This is amazing," I whispered.

"Come on," the Doctor said as he wrapped his arm over my shoulder and led be back to the main corridor where the TARDIS was placed. I glanced up and saw a large set of numbers, 139. "You're gonna like this fantastic period of history," the Doctor said. "The human race at its most intelligent - culture, art, politics. This era has got fine food, good manners—"

A man rudely growled, "Out of the way!" as he shoved past me.

Floor 139 suddenly sprang into life around us. Food stools were set up all around them and people bustle past the two of us to queue up. There was so much noise it was hard to decipher one voice from another.

"One at a time..." one of the chef's growled. The stall keepers took orders, and the place became rather busy. I glanced to the Doctor to see him looking bemused. "Oi," the chef continued to a man with spiky hair. "Oi! You, mate! Stop pushing. Get back. I SAID, back."

I looked at the fast food and questioned, "Fine cuisine?"

The Doctor gave a slight frown and said, "My watch must be wrong." He checked his watch, "No, it's fine... weird."

I frowned, "Really? But isn't your history supposed to be perfect, or at least pretty close?"

"My history's perfect."

I smirked saying, "Obviously not." I then glanced around. "Shouldn't there be non-human looking aliens walking around by now?"

The Doctor looked around with me, "That's a good question." He paused before asking, "You hungry?"

I shook my head, "Nah. I have a weird eating schedule. My internal clock says this is about midday to me. I don't eat lunch until 2 in the evening."

"You sure?" he asked.

"Yes," I said. I glanced at the strange food. "But when we get back to the TARDIS after this trip I'm going to make you dinner."

"Domestics," he said.

I smiled sweetly at the Doctor, "I was going to go to college for Culinary. I'm making you something."

The Doctor held his hands up in defense, "Alright."

I turned to him fully, "So we gonna find out where we are officially?"

"You really do know me too well," the Doctor said. He took my hand and we walked for a moment before the Doctor stopped two, very good looking, women. "Erm... this is gonna sound daft, but can you tell us where we are?"

The first woman frowned and indicated to the large numbers I noticed before, "Floor 139... could they write it any bigger?"

"Floor 139 of what?" I asked.

The woman smirked, "Must've been a hell of a party."

The second woman then answered, "Oh, you're on Satellite Five."

"What's Satellite Five?" the Doctor asked.

The first woman frowned as though we were wasting her precious time, "Come on, how could you get on board without knowing where you are?"

The Doctor then said, in a fairly pleasant voice, "Look at me, I'm stupid."

"Hang on, wait a minute - are you a test? Some sort of management test kind of thing?" the second woman asked quickly.

The Doctor gave a slight smirk, "You've got us. Well done. You're too clever for us." He showed them his psychic paper.

The second woman smiled, slightly proud, "We were warned about this in basic training. All workers have to be versed in company promotion."

The first woman stood straighter, "Right. Fire away, ask your questions. If it gets me to Floor 500 I'll do anything."

I frowned and asked, "What happens on Floor 500?"

As though stating the obvious the first woman said, "The walls are made of gold. And you should know... Mr. and Mrs. Management. So... this is what we do." She walked away and led us to the screens. The second woman smiled at us nervously, well mostly the Doctor. "Latest news... sandstorms on the new Venus archipelago. Two hundred dead. Glasgow water riots into their third day... spacelane 37 closed by sunspot activity. And over on the Bad Wolf channel, the Face of Bo has just announced he's pregnant." I flinched at the mention of 'Bad Wolf' but then scoffed at the mention of the Face of Bo being pregnant. That's definitely going to be something to talk about.

The Doctor gave a slight nod, "I get it. You broadcast the news."

The first woman looked slightly offended, "We ARE the news." The second woman smiled at the Doctor again and he returned said smile. "We're the journalists." The first woman continued. "We write it, package it and sell it. 600 channels all coming out of Satellite Five, broadcasting everywhere. Nothing happens in the whole human empire without it going though us."

A loudspeaker sounded down the corridor, "**All staff are reminded that the canteen area now has self cleaning tables. Thank you!**"

"So," I said softly causing the first woman to turn to me. "How does this all work? How do you broadcast?" An alarm sounded, signaling the end of lunch I'd assume.

The first woman smirked and said, "Follow me." I tugged on the Doctor's hand and followed her. She brought us to a room filled with several others. There was a chair in the middle of a raised octagonal platform in the middle of the room. The staff sat cross-legged around the octagon, in front of them were pads with shaped out hand prints. The Doctor and I stood against some railings at the side of the room. The first woman made her way to the middle of the octagonal platform and addressed the room, "Now. Everybody behave. We have a management inspection." She turned to the two of us asking, "How do you want it? By the book?"

The Doctor looked slightly nervous as he said, "Oh, right from scratch, thanks."

The first woman turned away and the Doctor and I shared a smirk. "Ok, so - ladies, gentlemen, multisex, undecided or robot - my name is Cathica Santini Kadainy. That's Cathica with a 'C', in case you want to write to Floor 500 praising me, and please... do..." The Doctor grinned and gave a non-committal jerk of his head. "Now, please feel free to ask any questions. The process of news gathering must be open, honest, and be non-biased. That's company policy." Cathica turned and smiled at the Doctor, who nodded back.

"Actually," the second woman said. "it's the law." She also smiled at the Doctor. Okay, I'm not going to lie. I'm getting a little jealous at the attention the Doctor was getting from these other women.

Irritated Cathica said, "Yes, thank you, Suki. Okay, keep it calm... don't show off for the guests... here we go." She lay down in the chair. "And... engage safety..." The staff held their hands out over their hand pads. Each of the eight walls lit up as they did so. Cathica clicked her fingers, and a door in her forehead opened, revealing her brain. The Doctor looked mildly disgusted while I had to look away. I can handle a lot of things, but seeing Cathica's brain is a little too much for me so I focused on anything but her head. The staff placed their hands down on the pads and closed their eyes. "And 3... 2... and spike." From the contraption over the chair, a blue light spiked down into her brain, flowing into her.

The Doctor then began to explain, "Compressed information, streaming into her. Reports from every city, every country, every planet, and they all get packaged inside her head. She becomes part of the software. Her brain IS the computer."

"Then that makes her a genius," I said keeping myself from looking at her head. "Right?"

The Doctor gave a soft shake of his head, "Nah. She wouldn't remember any. There's too much, her head would blow up." He began to walk around the room, circling the octagonal platform while tugging me along, my hand still incased in his. "The brain's the processor. As soon as it closes, she forgets."

"And what about them?" I gestured to the others around Cathica.

"They've all got tiny little chips in their head, connecting them to her," the Doctor said I knelt down beside one of them, watching closely. My hand slipped from his and I slightly missed the warmth his hand gave mine. "And they transmit 600 channels. Every single fact in the empire beams out of this place." I stood and walked with him as he completed his circuit around the room. He leaned against the railing again while I just stood beside him. "Now, that's what I call power."

I watched a soft frown twitch across the Doctor's lips. I blinked a few times, wondering why the hell I was watching his lips, before asking, "There's something wrong isn't there?"

"This technology's wrong," he said.

I smirked at him. "So trouble?"

The Doctor caught my eye and smiled, "Oh yeah."

Suki gasped and I turned to see her lift her hands off the pad as though she had just been shocked. The other members of staff were forced to lift their own hands too, and the lights in the walls turned off. The compressed information stopped streaming into Cathica and the door to her head snapped closed. Suki rubbed her hands, breathing heavily.

Cathica glared at Suki and said, "Come off it, Suki, I wasn't even halfway, what was that for?"

Suki frowned and muttered, "Sorry, must've been a glitch..."

Cathica stood and a loudspeaker sounded over the room. A projection sprung to life on the wall, the words appearing as it spoke, "**Promotion.**"

"This is it. Come on. God, make it me. Come on, say my name." Cathica said praying a little too hard. The Doctor and I watched her with mild concern. Cathica closed her eyes, "Say my name, say my name..."

Cathica opened here eyes as the loudspeaker said, "**Promotion for... Suki Macrae Cantrell.**" Suki's mouth dropped open and Cathica looked like someone had taken away her puppy and beat it. "**Please proceed to Floor 500.**"

Suki stood and stared at the projection. "I don't believe it... Floor 500..."

"How the hell did you manage that?" Cathica growled. "I'm above you!"

Suki shrugged, "I don't know, I just applied on the off-chance... and they've said yes!"

"That's so not fair, I've been applying to Floor 500 for three years!"

-x-x-x-

The Doctor, Cathica, and I stood by the elevator, though they kept insisting I call it a 'lift', to say goodbye to Suki. I felt unsure about letting Suki go up there. I didn't remember what was supposed to happen in this episode very well, even though I know I've seen this situation before. I also knew that Satellite Five was where the where the Ninth Doctor came to his end.

"Cathica, I'm gonna miss you! Floor 500..." Suki said. She turned to the Doctor, "Thank you!"

The Doctor shrugged, "I didn't do anything!"

Suki smiled, "Well, you're my lucky charm!"

"All right! I'll hug anyone!" Suki giggled as the Doctor hugged her. Cathica couldn't look at Suki and neither could I. I'm going to openly admit that I was bristling with jealously. I wanted the Doctor to be hugging me, not Suki. I fell terrible about being so jealous of a girl that I felt something was going to happen to. I shivered at the thought. Suki and the Doctor pulled apart. "Oh, my God, I've got to go, I can't keep them waiting—" She picked up her back and rushed to the elevator. "I'm sorry!" The elevator opened and she stepped inside. "Say goodbye to Steve for me." The Doctor and I smiled at her. "Bye!" The Doctor and I waved as the elevator closed.

"Good riddance," Cathica almost growled.

The Doctor looked to her with a slight frown, "You're talking like you'll never see her again. She's only going upstairs."

Cathica shook her head, "We won't. Once you go to Floor 500 you never come back."

The Doctor looked at me and then at the closed elevator doors, with a frown. We followed Cathica through the canteen area. "Have you ever been up there?"

"No," Cathica said. "You need a key for the lift, and you only get a key with promotion. No one gets to 500 except for the chosen few." We followed her back to the 'Spike' room. "Look, they only give us twenty minutes maintenance, can't you give it a rest?"

"But you've never been to another floor? Not even one floor down?" He settled himself comfortably in the chair on the platform while I leaned next to him. I was worried that something was going to happen with the machine and hurt the Doctor. But then he wouldn't have sat in it in the first place if he thought that it was going to go off, just like he wouldn't let me near it … right?

"I went to floor 16 when I first arrived, that's medical, that's when I got my head done, and then I - I came straight here. Satellite Five - you work, eat and sleep on the same floor. That's it, that's all." Cathica looked at us for a long moment. "You're not management, are you."

The Doctor smiled, "At last! She's clever!"

Cathica paused, "Yeah, well, whatever it is, don't involve me. I don't know anything."

"Don't you even ask?"

"Well, why WOULD I?"

"You're a journalist!" the Doctor said.

I then asked, "Why's all the crew human?"

Cathica frowned at me, "What's that got to do with anything?"

The Doctor nodded, "There's no aliens on board. Why?"

Cathica shrugged, "I don't know - no real reason, they're not banned or anything."

The Doctor looked around the room, "Then where are they?"

"I suppose immigration's tightened up. It's had to, what, with all the threats."

"What threats?" I asked.

Cathica looked lost as she answered, "I don't know... all of them. Usual stuff. And the price of space warp doubled so that kept the visitors away... Oh, and the government on Traffic Five's collapsed, so that lot stopped coming, you see... just... lots of little reasons, that's all."

"Adding up to one great big fact, and you didn't even notice." The Doctor said.

"Doctor, I think if there was any kind of conspiracy, Satellite Five would have seen it. We see everything."

I shrugged and muttered to myself, "Unless the conspiracy comes from Satellite Five."

Neither seamed to head me. The Doctor spoke, "I can see better. This society's the wrong shape. Even the technology."

Cathica gave him a slight glare, "It's cutting edge!"

"It's backward! There's a great big door in your head! You should've chucked this out years ago."

"What's going on then?" I asked.

"It's not just this space station, it's the whole attitude. It's the way people think. The great and bountiful human empire's stunted. Something's holding it back."

"And how would you know?" Cathica asked.

The Doctor gave a slight nod, "Trust me. Humanity's been set back about 90 years - when did Satellite Five start broadcasting?"

"91 years ago..." Cathica said slowly. The Doctor nodded to himself.

"Come on," the Doctor said taking my hand. He led me to a door and released my hand to take out his sonic screwdriver. He began to use said screwdriver on the side of the door.

"We're SO gonna get in trouble," Cathica said as she came over to the two of us. "You're not allowed to touch the mainframe, you're gonna get told off."

"Faline, tell her to button it." The Doctor said. I just smiled at him.

Cathica urgently whispered, "You can't just vandalize the place, someone's gonna notice!" The Doctor wrenched the door open and began messing around with the internals of the mainframe. "This is nothing to do with me, I'm going back to work." Cathica began to walk away.

"Go on then! See ya!" the Doctor said.

Cathica stopped and said, "I can't just leave you, can I!"

"You wanna be useful?" I asked. "Get them to turn this damn heat down."

The Doctor turned to look at my flushed face as I waved the bottom of my shirt in a sad attempt to cool myself down. "Are you okay?" he asked.

I nodded, "I'm just sensitive to the heat. If it was any hotter than this I would have trouble breathing."

The Doctor frowned, "What about when the sun exploded?"

"I was a little too preoccupied at the time to complain about being hot," I paused. "And my clothes were a lot thinner and a lot less." The Doctor watched me for a long moment before nodding and returning to what he was doing. I turned to Cathica, "Can't they do something about this heat?"

Cathica shrugged, "I don't know, we keep asking - something to do with the turbine."

"_Something to do with the turbine_," the Doctor mocked.

"Well, I don't know!"

"Exactly! I give up on you, Cathica. Now, Faline - look at Faline." I rose my eyebrow at the Doctor. "Faline is asking the right kind of questions."

I rolled my eyes, "Thanks Doctor."

I began to use my hand to fan my face and the Doctor asked, "Why is it so hot?"

Cathica glared at the Doctor, "One minutes you're worried about the Empire and the next it's the central heating!"

"Well, never underestimate plumbing. Plumbing's very important." The Doctor accidentally snapped a bunch of wires. Cathica and I shared an exasperated look. It only took the Doctor a few minutes after his 'plumbing' comment to successfully hack into the mainframe. He turned the screen to Cathica. "Here we go - Satellite Five. Pipes and plumbing. Look at the layout." He moved to stand behind her, giving her a better look.

"This is ridiculous," Cathica said softly. "You've got access to the computer's core. You can look at the archive, the news, the stock exchange... and you're looking at pipes?" She turned to the Doctor.

The Doctor frowned, "But there's something wrong."

Cathica turned back to the screen. "I suppose..."

I looked at the screen. "Okay, no matter how 'brilliant' the Doctor says I am, I still don't understand what I'm looking at."

"The ventilation system," Cathica explained. "Cooling ducts, ice filters, all working flat out... channeling massive amounts of heat DOWN."

She looked upwards as the Doctor said, "All the way from the top."

"Floor 500," I said.

The Doctor nodded, "Something up there is generating tons and tons of heat."

I smiled at the Doctor, "Well, it sounds nice and cold up there. Let's go crash their party."

Cathica frowned at me, "You can't, you need a key."

"Keys are just codes, and I've got the codes right here." The Doctor gestured to the screen and tapped a few keys. "Here we go - override 215.9."

"How come it's giving you the code?"

The Doctor looked up at the security camera while I said, "He's the Doctor. You either love him or hate him, but either way he gets what he wants." The Doctor turned and gave me a small push on the shoulder. I giggled, "What? It's true." The Doctor just took my hand and led Cathica and I to the same elevator that Suki had taken to floor 500. The Doctor and I went inside but Cathica didn't. I gave her a soft smile, "Come with us."

Cathica shook her head with a frown, "No way!"

The Doctor waved, "Bye!"

"Well, don't mention my name. When you get in trouble, just don't involve me!" She then stalked off.

The Doctor turned to me, "Looks like it's just you and me, again."

I gave the Doctor a small smile, "Getting sick of me already?"

"Nope," he said. The Doctor used a card on the controls and tightened his grip on my hand. It was silent for a long moment in the elevator before the Doctor asked, "So you know what's going to happen here?"

"What makes you ask that?" I turned to him.

"Because how you act like everything is so familiar to you," he answered.

I shrugged, "I recognize this. But I can't directly place everything. All I know for sure is that by Adam being an ass to me, it stopped him from coming with us." The Doctor looked at me with wide eyes. "I don't really think he was that important seeing as he would have used this trip to get a little door in his head like Cathica. You would have gotten mad and sent him home. There isn't much for him to do. But I can say that, I don't trust Floor 500."

As though listening to me the elevator doors opened as we arrived on Floor 500. The Doctor and I stepped out looking around. I shivered slightly at the change in temperature, but at the same time I loved to be away from the heat. "The walls are not made of gold." The Doctor turned to me. "You should go back downstairs. You said you didn't trust this floor."

I gave the Doctor a smile, "But I trust you." I then walked forward. I only heard my own footsteps for a moment before the Doctor's joined me.

The Doctor and I found ourselves in a room where a blonde man stood watching television screens in a freezing room. Goosebumps began to form across every bit of my exposed skin. People sat at stations around him on a little platform, all sitting up straight and looking ahead. "I started without you," the man said. "This is fascinating. Satellite Five contains every piece of information within the Fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire. Birth certificates, shopping habits, bank statements, but YOU two... you don't exist!" The Doctor and I looked right back at him. He laughed. "Not a trace! No birth - no job - not the slightest kiss. How can you walk through the world and not leave a single footprint?"

I took another look at works and noticed Suki, "Oh god it's Suki." I turned to the man, too terrified to go over to the brunette. She looked freezing cold, she looked dead even though she still typed away at the keyboard she was set in front of. "What've you done to her?"

"I think she's dead," the Doctor said to me softly. "They've all got chips in their head, and the chips keep going. Like puppets."

The man smiled, "Ohhhh! You're full of information! But it's only fair we get information back, because apparently, you're no-one." He laughed and the Doctor nodded, holding my hand tighter. "It's so rare not to know something. Who are you?"

"It doesn't matter, 'cause we're off. Nice to meet you." The Doctor began to walk away, taking me with him, however two of the dead workers restrained him. His hand was yanked from mine as I was grabbed from behind, held to a freezing chest.

"Tell me who you are!" the man almost growled.

The Doctor gave him a 'look', "Since that information's keeping us alive, I'm hardly gonna say, am I?"

The man smiled, "Well, perhaps my Editor in Chief can convince you otherwise."

"And who's that?" the Doctor asked.

"It may interest you to know that this is NOT the Fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire. In fact, it's not actually human at all. It's merely a place where humans happen to live." An angry growl sounded and the man corrected his statement. "Yeah- sorry. It's a place where humans are allowed to live by kind permission of my client." The man snapped his fingers and pointed upwards at an alien that hung from the ceiling. It was a huge, slobbering lump of alien with an angry mouth full of sharp, snapping teeth.

"Oh my god," I muttered to myself.

"You mean, that thing's in charge of Satellite Five?" the Doctor asked.

"That 'thing' - as you put it - is in charge of the human race." Complete alarm passed across the Doctor's face. "For almost a hundred years, mankind has been shaped and guided, his knowledge and ambition strictly controlled by its broadcast news. Edited by my superior - your master - and humanities guiding light - the mighty Jagrafess of the Holy Hadrojassic Maxarodenfoe." The Jagrafess roared. "I call him Max." The Doctor smiled sarcastically and nodded.

-x-x-x-

The Doctor and I are both restrained by metal manacles around our wrists and ankles. I shivered at the frozen metal against my skin. I wanted to be cooler, not stuck in a freezing room with dead workers, a crazy man, a Jagrafess, and my only hope tied up beside me.

"If we create a climate of fear..." the man said. "Then it's easy to keep the borders closed. It's just a matter of emphasis. The right word in the right broadcast repeated often enough can destabilize an economy... invent an enemy... change a vote..."

"So the people on Earth are slaves," I said more than questioned.

"Well, now," the man said. "There's an interesting point. Is a slave a slave if he doesn't know he's enslaved?"

"Yes," the Doctor immediately answered.

The man pouted, "Oh. I was hoping for a philosophical debate. Is that all I'm going to get? 'Yes'?"

"Yes," the Doctor repeated.

The man laughed, "You're no fun."

"Let me out of these manacles - you'll find out how much fun I am," the Doctor almost growled.

The man smirked, "Oh, he's tough, isn't he. But, come on. Isn't it a great system? You've got to admire it, just a little bit."

"Someone must have noticed all of this," I said trying to keep the Doctor out of trouble and the man distracted so the Doctor could think of a plan in that genius brain of his.

The man nodded, "From time to time, someone, yes. But the computer system allows me to see inside their brain... I can see the smallest doubt - and crush it." He grinned, "And then they just carry on, living their life. Strutting about downstairs and all over the surface of the Earth like they're SO individual." I noticed the Doctor's attention wasn't on the man before us but on something else. I didn't bother to look knowing that I was more than likely to be obvious enough to ruin whatever plan was going to be made. "When of course, they're not. They're just cattle. In that respect, the Jagrafess hasn't changed a thing."

"Then what about you?" I asked. "Your human."

"Yeah, well simply being human doesn't pay very well," the man said.

I frowned, "You didn't do all of this alone."

"No! I represent a consortium of banks. Money prefers a long-term investment. Also, the Jagrafess needed a little hand to um... install himself."

"No wonder," the Doctor said. "a creature that size." I looked to the Doctor and could just barely see Cathica looking up at the Jagrafess from her hiding place. I didn't spend too much time looking at her and returned my gaze to the Doctor's face. "What's his life span?"

"Three thousand years," the man said.

"That's one hell of a metabolism generating all that heat. That's why Satellite Five's so hot. You pump it out of the creature, channel it downstairs - Jagrafess stays cool - stays alive. Satellite Five's one great big life support system." I gave the Doctor internal praise for giving Cathica what she needed to save us, it was all up to her now.

The man was silent for a moment and then said, "But THAT'S why you're so dangerous. Knowledge is power, but you remain unknown." He gave a small laugh and flicked his fingers. My body was suddenly filled with white pain originating from the manacles. I gasped squirmed in my chains. "Who are you?" the man asked.

The pain suddenly stopped and I slumped in my chains. My chest rose and fell in ragged breaths from both fear and pain. "Leave her alone," I heard the Doctor say. I lifted my head. "I'm the Doctor, she's Faline Marks, we're nothing, we're just wandering."

"Tell me who you are!" the man growled.

"I just said!"

"Yeah, but who do you work for? Who sent you? Who knows about us? Who exactly—"

I interrupted him, "No one sent us. No one told us to do anything. No one else knows. Just please let us go." The man walked towards me. "Please just let us go," I said, my voice wavering as he grew closer. The man took my chin in his hand, I tried to move my head away but something cold wrapped around the back of my neck. I assume it was his other hand. An invading little pressure pushed against the back of my mind. It was dull, but there and soon it began to hurt the base of my neck.

"What are you doing to her?" the Doctor asked, clearly alarmed.

"Time Lord," the man said simply.

The Doctor and I stared at him with wide eyes, "What?"

"Oh, yes!" the man said. "The last of the Time Lords in his travelling machine. Oh, with his little human girl from long ago..." He smiled at me and I tried to pull away from his hold but his grip tightened.

"You don't know what you're talking about," the Doctor insisted.

"Time travel," the man said.

"Someone's been telling you lies," the Doctor said.

The man looked straight into my eyes and said, "I don't think little Faline here is telling lies." My eyes widened and I turned my thoughts on anything but the Doctor. I thought back to my family and what I remember of my childhood. The man chuckled at my attempt.

"Let go of her," the Doctor almost yelled.

The man then began to laugh at the Doctor and my attempt to keep my mind off of the Doctor's history and future by thinking of any song that came to mind, quiet a few of them from Andrew Lloyd Webber's version of _Phantom of the Opera_. "And through her, I know everything about you. Every piece of information in her head is now mine. And you have infinite knowledge, Doctor. The Human Empire is tiny compared to what you've seen in your T-A-R-D-I-S - TARDIS."

The Doctor glared at the man, "You'll never get your hands on it. I'll die first."

"Die all you like. I don't need you. I've got the key," the man released the back of my neck, all pain and pressure from before leaving me. He trailed his fingers down my throat and tugged at the chain around my neck, slowly pulling the TARDIS key out of it's hiding place.

"What are you doing?" the Doctor growled. I glanced at the Doctor and saw darkness in his eyes.

The man looked at the TARDIS key for a long moment before pulling away from me completely, letting the key fall against my chest. "Today, WE are the headlines. We can rewrite history. We could prevent mankind from ever developing."

"And no-one's gonna stop you," the Doctor said calmer than before. "Because you've bred a human race that doesn't bother to ask questions. Stupid little slaves, believing every lie. They'll just trot right into the slaughter house if they're told it's made of gold." I realized the Doctor was talking directly to Cathica and had to force myself from looking at her. The man said nothing so the Doctor turned to me, "Are you okay?"

I shrugged, "It probably could have been worse." I only said this trying, and failing, to reassure myself that everything was going to be fine because I was with the Doctor.

An alarm began to sound and the man turned quickly, "What's happening?" He moved to his screens and looked at what was going on. "Someone's disengaged the safety." He clicked his fingers and a projection began to show us Cathica, the compressed information flowing into the open door of her brain. "Who's that?"

"Cathica," I whispered.

"And she's thinking," the Doctor said. "She's using what she knows!"

The man turned to the dead working, Suki. "Terminate her access."

The Doctor continued, "Everything I told her about Satellite Five - the pipes - the filters - she's reversing it! Look at that..." The icicles around the room began to melt. "It's getting hot."

"I said, terminate!" the man said as he frantically placed his own hands over dead worker Suki's. "Burn her mind."

All the screens suddenly began to explode with sparks and the dead workers fell to the floor, lifeless. The whole of Satellite Five shuddered and alarms went off. My manacles fell to the floor as dead weight and I rushed to the Doctor. "She's venting the heat up here," the Doctor said. "The Jagrafess needs to stay cool and now it's sitting on top of a volcano." The Jagrafess was roaring violently as the Doctor laughed.

In reponse to the Jagrafess' roar the man said, "Yes! Uh... I'm trying, sir but - I don't know how she did it, it's impossible. A member of staff with an idea—" The Jagrafess roared angrily. The man pushed Suki's body aside, and tried to operate the computer himself. I began reaching into the Doctor's jacket pocket's in search for his sonic screwdriver while the Jagrafess roared and snapped at us.

"Flick the switch!" the Doctor said when I pulled said device from his pocket.

"This better be on the right setting," I growled to him and flicked the switch, holding it to his manacles.

The Doctor's chains fell to the floor and he took his sonic screwdriver away from me. "Oi, mate - wanna bank on a certainty? Massive heat in a massive body. Massive bang!" Lumps of flesh began to fall off the Jagrafess. "See you in the headlines!" The Doctor grabbed my hand and pulled me from the room and down the Floor 500 corridor.

The Doctor made his way to the elevator but I tugged on his hand, "Cathica!" I said alarmed. The Doctor pushed me into the elevator and ran back for her. I waited for a few moments before the Doctor and Cathica came running into the elevator. I sighed in relief when the Doctor and Cathica came inside and we headed back down the Floor 139.

When we got there everyone was recovering from the commotion we caused. The Doctor took my hand and led us to a table where we all sat down. "We're just gonna go," the Doctor told Cathica. "I hate tidying up. Too many questions. You'll manage."

Cathica shook her head, "You'll have to stay and explain it - no-one's gonna believe me."

"Oh, they might start believing a lot of things now. The Human Race should accelerate. All back to normal."

Cathica nodded to me, "What about you?" she asked. "He did something to you. Will you be okay?"

I opened my mouth to honestly tell her I didn't know but the Doctor said, "I'm going to take care of her."

I looked at the Doctor in surprise as he stood, holding his hand out to me. I took his hand and let him led me to the TARDIS. I used my key to open her and walked inside. "What are you going to do?" I asked him.

"Sit," he told me. I walked over to the pilot seat and sat down, watching the Doctor. "I'm going to go inside your head and make sure there was no lasting damage done."

I nodded, "You aren't going to smash your forehead into mine are you?"

The Doctor shook his head, "No." He cradled my face. "If there's anything that you don't want me to look at picture a door and close it. I wont look into it, just look over it to make sure it wasn't damaged. If it is though, I _will_ look into it."

I nodded, "Okay." The Doctor placed his forehead against mine and I closed my eyes. It felt strange to have the Doctor inside my head, the warmth of his mind filling mine. Immediately I had to hide my feelings towards the Doctor behind a door. True to his word I felt him skip over what was inside and looking everywhere else. The only other times I created doors was when he was getting too close to what I knew about his future and a few personal items concerning me, very similar to my feelings towards the Doctor.

The Doctor pulled away from my mind and I opened my eyes as he began to pull his head away from mine. "Your perfectly fine," he said making me smile. "So where do you want to go now?"

I bit my lip, sucking in my lip ring. "Can we go see Rose and Jackie?" I asked. "After the last few trips I think both of us need a day, or at least a few hours to calm down." I gave the Doctor a small smirk, "Besides, I promised you dinner." The Doctor laughed.

**END**


	8. 1x08

**1x08 "Father's Day"**

The Doctor brought me to Rose's time. It felt strange calling it my own time seeing as when I left it had been 2011 rather than 2005-2006. I planned to make the Doctor dinner in the TARDIS, but after almost getting eaten by something that died in his fridge it seamed like a better idea to use the Tyler residence. The Doctor opened the doors and let me step out. I smiled, taking a deep breath of the London air. I turned and smiled to the Doctor, "Please don't go anywhere. I should only be five hours at the most."

"Cooking?" the Doctor asked with wide eyes.

I giggled, "Ya. I'm making the sauce from scratch. And seeing as you told me you weren't allergic to anything as Nine then I don't have to worry."

The Doctor sighed, "Don't take too long."

My smiled widened and I wrapped my arms around his waist quickly before letting go and running to the Tyler apartment while calling back, "Be sure to clear out whatever's in the TARDIS kitchen that tried to get me."

-x-x-x-

Making the dinner took a lot less time then I thought it would. However, seeing as once I found out that the TARDIS kitchen was out of bounds I called Jackie and asked for her to buy everything for me in promise to reimburse her and share the spoils. Rose wasn't here to see, the blonde having to be at work, but having Jackie to help was just as fun. She kept trying to taste everything, and there was a lot of food to try and taste. I may have gone overboard when trying to impress the Doctor with my culinary skills. I ended up enough food for Jackie, the Doctor, Rose, Mickey, the whole Torchwood team and myself. Although, I knew that the team wouldn't be the same, only having Owen and Tosh at the time with Jack. I half wondered if Suzie would be there, but I didn't want to ask when I got there.

The door to the Tyler apartment opened I heard Rose call, "Mum? What's that smell? You been cook-" she trailed off when I came into view, "ing." Rose was silent for a moment before bolting forward and hugging me. "Faline!" I laughed and hugged the blonde in return.

"Hello Rose!" I said happily. "Are you hungry?" I asked.

Rose looked around at the piles of food I made. Jackie was gone at the moment, getting tins for me to take said food to my favorite place, well second favorite and I haven't even been there yet. "What's all the for?"

I blushed and bit my lip ring, "Well. I mostly wanted to make the Doctor some real homemade food. The TARDIS kitchen wasn't suitable for, anything, so I came here. And since I was here I decided to make food for you, Jackie, and Mickey. Then it grew when I decided that a certain friend of mine, the same one that paid for us when we went shopping, should share in the spoils too. That's why there's a lot, well and the fact that my family raised me as Italian."

Rose laughed, "That explains the lasagna."

I smirked, "I guess so." I ended up making three trays of lasagna using homemade sauce, two cookie sheets worth of meatballs, two loaves of garlic bread, and for desert, two cheesecakes and three types of cookies. Sugar, chocolate chip, and peanut butter. The peanut butter was separated from the other two, just in case of allergies.

"Where's my mum?" Rose asked.

"She went to get more tins for me, I have to take some to the TARDIS and to my money friend."

"Why wont you tell me their name?" the blonde asked as she stole a sugar cookie.

I frowned at her while saying, "I haven't officially met him yet. Time travel messes with things and I don't need to mess it up more. That's why when I go, I hope to run into someone that works for him." Rose looked at the calendar and then back to me. I followed her gaze for a split second and could see the next day to be crossed off was father's day. "You want to ask me something Rose, I know you do."

Rose bit her lip, "Could-could I go with you and the Doctor to see my father?"

I sighed, "You'd have to ask the Doctor, but Rose," I looked the blonde in the eyes. "Do you _really_ want to? If I had the chance I wouldn't go back to see them even if I could. Because I know it would kill me more than just knowing they're gone. If you want to do this, because I'm not saying you shouldn't, then just think about it, okay?"

Rose nodded, "Okay." The door opened and the blonde quickly said, "Don't tell my mum."

"Of course," I said and smiled as Jackie walked into the kitchen with the tins I requested. "Thank you so much Mrs. Tyler."

Jackie smiled at me, "Don't worry about it. And call me Jackie."

I nodded, "Okay." I took the plastic bags holding the tins from Jackie and then began taking them out to pack away some of the food. "Would either of you mind giving me a ride to the Tower of London later on?" I asked, staying focused on what I was doing.

"I'll take you," I heard from the doorway.

I turned to see Mickey there. I smiled at Rose's boyfriend. I placed down the tins and rushed at him, throwing my arms around him. "Mickey!" I pulled away. "It's so good to see you."

"I heard your making food?" Mickey said.

I rolled my eyes. "Of course. The only reason you come over when I'm here would be for the free food I made you guys." Mickey opened his mouth to protest but I just laughed. "Its okay. I wanted you here. I needed to do something normal, and this just happens to be normal for my family." I turned and went back to filling the tin with food for Jack and his team, whoever was there.

"Why do you need to go to the Tower of London?" Mickey asked.

"Your going to the Tower of London?" a voice asked from the door. I jumped seeing the Doctor standing in the doorway. "I could take you."

I shook my head and closed the final tin for the Torchwood crew. "No, your future." I paused. "My future. But I know what's going to happen and who they are. So, Mickey will take me there. I'm just going in and out."

The Doctor gave a slight nod. "Alright. So you're done cooking."

"Yes," I said. "Did you clean out whatever attacked me?"

The Doctor rolled his eyes, "Yes. And it didn't attack you."

I glared at him, "It _lunged_ at me. It had teeth! Even if it just wanted to cuddle I wasn't going to take that chance." I picked up the tins and made my way to the door. "Mickey, we're going now."

"But-" he tried to protest.

I rolled my eyes, "Grab some garlic bread and lets go. They wont start without us and it shouldn't take long. I mean the Tower isn't that far, is it?"

-x-x-x-

I was eventually able to bribe Mickey in by promising him any leftovers that Jackie didn't take first. Mickey parked his vehicle almost a block away per my request and I got out, holding the trays. I wouldn't let him see where I was taking them. I didn't need any more exposure of Torchwood then there already was. I made my way to the tourist shop after giving the Tower a long stare, looking at where I was sure the elevator… excuse me _lift_ entrance was. I toed open the door and placed the tins on the help desk. I pulled out my phone and texted Jack. _**Send a team-mate up to the Tourist Shop. I can't see you yet, but I do come baring a gift to you and your group, whomever may be in it. – Faline**_

I waited for a few long moments before the wall slid open and I saw Owen standing there. I smiled at him, "Hello Dr. Harper," I said. He stared at me with wide eyes. "As I'm sure Jack has said, I am Faline." I gestured to the tins. "There's lasagna, meatballs, garlic bread, a cheesecake and three types of cookies. Sugar, chocolate chip, and peanut butter."

"How do you know my name?" he asked. He then looked to the tins, "And why did you bring food?"

"I'm just awesome," I said. "And I wanted to do something nice seeing as I'm sure that Torchwood members don't have as many home cooked meals as they'd like. So take it downstairs and enjoy." I turned and walked to the door. I paused. "Oh, and tell Jack that I hope to meet him soon." I walked out of the Tourist Shop and made my way past the Tower of London. I paused and gave a small wave, knowing Jack was watching my departure. Hopefully, we can say 'hello' and 'goodbye' face to face some day soon.

-x-x-x-

The Doctor, Rose, and I sat in the back of a church with a small group of people while watching the marriage of Jackie and Pete. I smiled and leaned my head against the Doctor, trying to ignore how intimate the act seamed after I did it. My phone buzzed in my pocket against the Doctor's leg. I turned from him and switched the phone to my other pocket, after quickly checking the message. _**Thank you and I cant wait to see you face to face. – CJH**_. I smiled and moved my attention to the wedding before us.

The priest, or 'registrar' as the Doctor had corrected me, told Pete what to say. "I, Peter Alan Tyler, take you, Jacqueline, Angela, Suzette Prentiss..."

Pete smiled and began to copy, "I, Peter Alan Tyler, take you, Jacqueline Suzanne... Suzette... Anita..."

I snickered as Pete began to mess up Jackie's extraordinarily long name. Jackie narrowed her eyes while Pete looked at the _priest_ for help. "Oh, just carry on. It's good enough for Lady Di."

The Doctor grinned and looked to Rose as she said, "I thought he'd be taller."

"... to be my lawful wedded wife, to love and behold 'til death us do part," the priest continued.

-x-x-x-

After the wedding we returned to the TARDIS and Rose wanted to see her father on the day he died. She explained to us that on the wedding day of a family friend, her father died cold and alone in the street. I frowned at the mention of it.

"I wanna be that someone," Rose said. "So he doesn't die alone."

The Doctor turned to look at me, but I was to busy watching Rose to give him a signal of any kind. "November the 7th?" he asked.

"1987," Rose said.

The Doctor nodded and started the engines. I held onto the edge of the console and waited until the TARDIS engines stopped roaring and the shaking stopped. Rose was the first to exit the TARDIS. The Doctor grabbed my arm before I could follow her, "If you had the chance would you be doing what Rose is?"

I bit my lip, "I told Rose 'no'. But if I were in her shoes… I'd at least want to meet them. Just for a moment, but I would never go to the day they died." The Doctor nodded and let me leave the TARDIS, following right behind me. It was relatively quiet, with soft music playing from one of the open windows.

"That's so weird," Rose said. "The day my father died... I thought it'd be all sort of grim and stormy, it's just an ordinary day."

"The past is another country. 1987's just the Isle of Wight." The Doctor looked to Rose, "Are you sure about this?"

Rose nodded, "Yes." Rose then led us to where her father died. We stood on the street curb, waiting side by side. "This is it. Jordan Road. He was late. He'd been to get a wedding present - a vase. Mum always said, that stupid vase." She sounded as though she were trying to fight off tears. A car rounded the corner. "He got out of his car...," the car pulled over, "... and crossed the road." The car stopped. "Oh, God. This is it."

Pete, oblivious to what was in store for him, picked up the vase from the passenger's seat. The Doctor gently took Rose's hand in his, intertwining their fingers. He looked at me for a moment as my hand too sought his. Pete got out of his car, unaware that a car had just rounded the corner and headed straight towards him. His eyes widened in shock. The driver threw a hand over his eyes. Rose quickly hid her head behind the Doctor's shoulder. The Doctor released my hand and moved his hand to the back of my head, pushing my face into his chest so I wouldn't see what happened to Pete. I heard the vase fall and smash to the ground. There was a long moment of silence before I lifted my head from the Doctor's chest. I didn't look at Pete, but rather at Rose as she watched her father dying in the street.

"Go to him. Quick," the Doctor said, but Rose couldn't move.

We stood there until we could hear the sirens come. We then moved to a block away from the accident, leaning against a wall. Rose was close to crying. "It's too late now," Rose said mostly to herself. The Doctor and I looked at her. "By the time the ambulance got there, he was dead." Her voice faltered as she choked up with tears. The Doctor looked away in silence, while I just stared at Rose. Rose turned to the two of us, "He can't die on his own." The Doctor looked at her. "Can I try again?"

The Doctor looked at me but I didn't bother looking at him. We both knew that it would be a bad, nor _horrible_ idea. But, Rose was our friend and all she wanted to do was stay with him while he died … right?

-x-x-x-

The Doctor, Rose, and I stood out of sight around the corner, watching the first set of us standing at the curb. The Doctor turned to Rose slightly, "Right. That's the first set of us. It's a very bad idea, two sets of us being here at the same time. Just be careful they don't see us. Wait 'til she runs off and they follow, then go to your dad."

For the second time, Rose's father's car drove up. We could hear the first Rose say, "Oh, God. This is it."

Pete picked up the vase from the passenger seat. "I can't do this," Rose said. I rubbed her arm, trying to comfort the blonde.

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to, but this is the last time we can be here." Rose stared at her father getting out of the car. I felt a shift under my hand and I turned to her only to have her rush past me. "Rose! No!"

The car rounded the corner. Rose ran past the first set of us, and knocked her father out of the way of the oncoming car. They tumbled onto the floor. The first set of us looks bewildered for a few seconds, before they disappeared. The Doctor and I looked on in horror. Rose stared at her father as he got to his feet. "I did it! I saved your life!" Rose said happily.

That was all of the conversation we were able to hear. The Doctor turned to me as everything fell into place. Fuck! I knew what was going to happen, and it wasn't going to be pretty. "Tell me you didn't know," the Doctor said.

I turned, biting my lip ring, "This was something that happened." He opened his mouth to speak but I quickly added, "I didn't remember till just now. If I had remembered I would have told you not to let Rose have that second go."

"What about warning me before the whole trip?"

I gave the Doctor a glare, "If you could go back to see your home would you do it?" As soon as I said it I covered my mouth. "Oh god, Doctor. I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"

The Doctor shook his head, "Your right, I would see them. I would save them if I could."

I gave him a soft smile, "If you had the chance Doctor, you would save everyone, ever."

He smirked, "Probably right."

-x-x-x-

All of us ended up getting a ride to the Tyler home 1987. The Doctor and I had sat in the back, watching Pete and Rose interact in the front seat. It was odd to watch the two of them interact. Rose truly wanted to know her father, but he had no idea who she really was.

Pete let the three of us into his apartment. He put the vase that nearly coast him his life next to the door. "There we go. Sorry about the mess. If you want a cup of tea, the kitchen's just down there, milk's in the fridge... well, it would be, wouldn't it? Where else would you put the milk? Mind you, there's always the window sill outside. I always thought if someone invented a window sill with special compartments, you know, one for milk, one for yogurt... make a lot of money out of that." My eyes moved from Pete to Rose. She couldn't take her eyes off of him, smiling in delight as he spoke. "Sell it to students and things..." Pete paused. "I should write that down. Anyway, never mind that, excuse me..." He moved past us and disappeared through a door.

"All the stuff mum kept," Rose said. "His stuff. She kept it all packed away in boxes in the cupboard, she used to show me when she'd had a bit to drink." I felt the Doctor lean against the doorframe beside me, neither of us spoke. "Here it is. On display. Where it SHOULD be." I glanced at the Doctor and could see the anger in his eyes as he crossed him arms. I turned back to Rose seeing her pick up a trophy and show it to us. "Third prize at the bowling... first two got to go to Didcot." She examined it for a few more seconds and then placed it back down. Her attention moved to the large bottles in the corner of the room. She bent down to look at them. "Health drinks. Tonics, mum used to call them. He made his money selling this Vitex stuff. He had all sorts of jobs. He's so clever." Rose looked around and spotted some plants on the table. "Solar power. Mum said he was gonna do this. Now he can." Rose turned to the Doctor and I with a smile. We didn't bother returning it. "Okay, look... I'll tell him you're not my boyfriend." I rolled my eyes, that wasn't the issue at hand. It didn't matter to either of us that Pete had mistaken the Doctor for her boyfriend and me for her sister.

The Doctor looked at her for a long moment, "When we met, I said 'travel with me in space'. You said no. Then I said 'time machine'. And you still said no, but I didn't miss that look on your face when Faline said she'd come back."

Rose rolled her eyes, "It wasn't some big plan. I just saw it happening and I thought... I can stop it."

I groaned and the Doctor said, "I did it again. I picked another STUPID ape." I turned to him with wide eyes, _stupid ape_? "I should've known. It's not about showing you the universe - it never is. It's about the universe doing something for you."

I turned to the Doctor, "Stupid ape?"

The Doctor glanced at me and shook his head. That head shake better mean that he wasn't talking about me. Rose looked between the two of us, "So it's okay when the two of YOU go to other times, and YOU save people's lives - but not when it's me saving my dad."

"I know what I'm doing, Faline knows what she's doing, you don't. Two sets of us being there made that a vulnerable point."

"But he's alive!" Rose growled.

I glared at her, "Rose! My family is gone. The Doctor's planet, his whole family. Don't you think that either of us had thought to go back and change that? That either of us could save them from what happened?"

"But it's not like I've changed HISTORY. Not much, I mean... he's never gonna be a world leader, he's not gonna start World War Three or anything..."

The Doctor took a few steps towards her. "Rose - there's a man alive in the world who wasn't alive before. An ordinary man, that's the most important thing in creation. The whole world's different because he's alive."

Rose glared, "What, would you rather him dead?"

"Damn it Rose!" I almost screamed. "This isn't about that! This is about the fact that you did something so reckless without thinking about the consequences!"

"What about you Faline? You've rescued others, you told me so. What about those consequences?"

"I'm fucking paranoid Rose. Of course I think of how a situation could go horrible wrong!" I said. "I take great thought into what I do to help others. And when I do that, I make sure the only one in danger is myself." Out of the corner of my eye I saw the Doctor flinch, clearly remembering what had happened when we went against the Dalek.

"But this isn't your family!" Rose said.

"I take the people I trust very seriously Rose," I said slowly. "Most people I trust as much as you I see as family, especially now that I _have_ no one else to confide in but the few strangers I give my trust to." I shook my head. "Fuck this, I'm done." I turned and walked out of the apartment, standing by the door.

I could still hear what was going on behind the closed door, "_Well, you've got what you wanted so that's goodbye then."_ That was the Doctor, I heard his heavy footsteps and then another pair joining his.

"_You don't scare me._" That was Rose. The footsteps stopped by the door. "_I know how sad you are. You'll be back in a minute. Or you'll hang around outside the TARDIS waiting for me. Faline wont let you leave either way._" The footsteps started again and the Doctor opened the door. He walked out and Rose called out, "_And I'll make you both wait a long time!_"

The Doctor locked eyes with me and I muttered, "She's right. We are staying."

"Because you want to or because you know what's going on?" the Doctor asked as the two of us made our way down the stairs and out of the apartment complex.

"A little of both."

-x-x-x-

The Doctor and I walked down the road, the TARDIS was almost in view. We weren't planning on leaving Rose for long, just until after the wedding and then I was going to drag her ass back kicking and screaming. I wondered how this was going to pan out if her father stayed alive. Would this be anything like when Amy forgot Rory? Would Rose forget us? Would she be erased from time? The Doctor made his way to the TARDIS, using his key. He looked up at a tree, pausing in what he was doing. I followed his gaze, but saw nothing.

"What's wrong?" I asked him.

He shook his head, "Nothing." The Doctor unlocked the TARDIS and opened the door. The beautiful inside of his ship was gone. The TARDIS was now just an ordinary police-box.

"Oh my god," I said as I covered my mouth, my eyes wide.

The Doctor stepped inside and felt around the walls, hoping it was just a trick. He then stopped, "ROSE!" He raced out of the empty TARDIS, grabbing my hand as he ran. We had to get to Rose.

The Doctor started to go towards her apartment but I stopped him, "The church!" I pulled my hand from his, running in the opposite direction. "She went to the wedding!" The Doctor, having longer legs then me, was able to pass me. He grabbed my hand, pulling me along with him.

We rounded a corner. The Doctor spotted Rose before I did, calling out to the blonde. "Rose!" Rose turned and smiled in a 'cat who caught the canary' sort of way. "Get in the church!" Her smile faded. My attention turned to the blonde's left where a sort of reaper like bird. Rose followed my gaze and screamed. The Doctor released my hand and rushed forward. He pulled her out of the way just in time, both of them falling to the ground. I ran to them as the scrambled to their feet. "Get in the church!" the Doctor yelled.

The crowd out side the church tried to rush into the church, but they stopped when another reaper-bird appeared before them. "Oh, my God," a woman cried. "What are they?"

Guests started to leak out of the church to see what was going on. Some of them screamed at the reaper-birds. "Inside!" the Doctor yelled. The reaper-bird screeched at us. The people who just came out of the church tried to leave the threshold. "Stay in there!" the Doctor yelled. A man didn't listen and tried to make a run for it. The reaper-bird swooped down on him, covering his body with its wings. A woman tried to run into the church. The reaper-bird turned on her and she screamed. The reaper-bird turned and went after the priest instead. The Doctor ushered the guests in before him. I was about to enter when I heard crying. I turned and saw a little boy, not much older than six, crying, not too far from the door. Instantly I rushed forward, picking him up. I turned to see the reaper-bird in front of me. "Faline!" the Doctor yelled. I turned from the reaper-bird, shielding the little boy from the bird. I kept my eyes open, watching its shadow. The reaper-bird didn't go after me, but rather moving on to someone else. "Faline, inside!" I turned and ran inside the doors, the little boy screaming in my arms. I kept running until I reached the wedding isle.

The doors slammed behind me. A woman came to me and took the little boy from my arms. The little boy stretched for the woman, crying for his mother. I released the little boy to his mother, letting my arms drop when he was in his mother's arms. I only half paid attention to her as she thanked me for saving her son. My attention was on the Doctor as he made his way to me, "Are you okay?"

I nodded. "Ya," I whispered.

The Doctor could see through my lie and pulled me into his arms. My head rested on his chest, where I could hear his hearts thundering. I tightened my grip on him when I heard a screech outside. The Doctor shushed me, "Its okay." He then released me. "Better?"

I nodded, "Thanks."

The Doctor gave me a nod back before looking around the church. Shadows from the reaper-birds swooped down from the sky towards the windows. "They can't get in. Old windows and doors, okay. The older something is, the stronger it is. What else?" The reaper-birds screeched. "Go and check the other doors! Move!"

Jackie ran over to the two of us, "What's happening? What are they?" the Doctor was ignoring her so she grabbed his arm. "What ARE they?"

"There's been an accident in time, a wound in time. They're like bacteria, taking advantage." The Doctor said, mostly for my benefit.

Jackie frowned, "What do you mean, time? What're you jabbering on about, time?"

The Doctor turned to her irritated, "Oh, I might've known you'd argue. Jackie, I'm sick of you complaining—"

Jackie stepped in front of him, "How d'you know my name?"

The Doctor began to talk over her, "I haven't got time for this—"

In return Jackie spoke over him, "I've never met you in my life!"

"No, and you never will unless I sort this out. Now, if you don't mind - I've waited a long time to say this - Jackie Tyler, do as I say. Go - and - check - the - doors." He pointed in the direction of the doors, his voice loud and commanding.

Jackie stared at him for a moment before saying, "Yes, sir."

The Doctor grinned, pleased with himself as Jackie walked away. "You've always wanted to say that haven't you?" I raised my eyebrow at him.

The Doctor's smile grew as a man approached the two of us. "I should have done that _ages_ ago."

"My dad was out there," the man said. Instantly I thought of the man that tried to run but was killed. Just like I would have been.

The Doctor gave a slight shrug, "You can mourn him later, right now we've got to concentrate on keeping ourselves alive." I hit his shoulder. "OW!" He clutched the shoulder I hit. "What was that for?"

"That was just plain _rude_," I said.

"My dad had—" the man tried again.

"There's NOTHING I can do for him," the Doctor said.

The man held up a large, bulky cell phone. "No. But he had this phone thing. I can't get it to work. I keep getting this voice..."

The Doctor immediately took the cell phone and dialed a number, holding the phone to his ear. _Watson - come here - we need you. Watson - come here - we need you. _The Doctor rose his eyebrows in surprise. "That's the very first phone-call, Alexander Graham Bell." He gave the phone back. "I don't think the telephone's gonna be much use." He grabbed my hand and took off running again, checking another door.

The man called after us, "But someone must call the police!"

"Police can't help you now. No-one can." I looked around at the other guests, and Rose, to see them watching us. Well, they were watching the Doctor. "Nothing in this Universe can harm those things. Time's been damaged and they've come to sterilize the wound." He turned to Rose, looking her in the eyes. "By consuming everything in sight."

Rose shook as she asked, "Is this because..." The Doctor looked down at her, not angry. "Is this my fault?" She received no answer, only a look from the Doctor. I, however, had to look away. It hurt knowing that, yes this was Rose's fault but it wasn't as though she actually did this on purpose. She just wanted to save her father, and _that_ is what hurt more than anything. That I could save someone and be able to live with it, but she couldn't without breaking everything.

-x-x-x-

The Doctor brought me with him to a back room. He hadn't let me leave his sight since the reaper-bird almost killed me. He wasn't going to yell at me because I didn't do it for myself. I did it to save that little boy that would have been left outside and killed had I not saved him. Pete was there, checking a door to be sure its secure. The Doctor looked out the window, with me standing beside him.

Pete came beside us and said with urgency in his voice, "There's smoke coming up from the city but no sirens. I - I don't think it's just us, I think these things are all over the place. Maybe the whole world." The Doctor and I weren't entirely listening. We watched as the car that should have killed Pete appeared out of thin air, tires screeching. It rounded the corner and the terrified driver threw their hand over their eyes before the car disappeared again. It happened more than once before Pete too noticed the car, "Was that a car?"

There was a pause before the Doctor said, "It's not important. Don't worry about it." He took my hand and we left Pete alone.

-x-x-x-

I sat in one of the front pews, watching the Doctor as he crashed around the main church, checking all possible exits. I was waiting for a signal to get up and help him, but he seamed content in letting me sit and watch him. I suppose that it's the best was for him to keep me out of trouble, by not having me doing anything … but then who's keeping _him_ out of trouble?

I turned to see the bride and the man from before, now that I see him beside the bride I know he's the groom, walk up to the Doctor. The groom began to speak, "Excuse me! Mr..."

"Doctor," he corrected not looking at him.

"You seem to know what's going on," the groom said.

The Doctor fiddled with a lock, checking it with the sonic screwdriver. "I give that impression, yeah."

"I just wanted to ask—" the groom started.

However, his bride cut him off, "Can you save us?"

The Doctor stopped what he was doing. He turned to look at her while turning his sonic screwdriver off. He walked towards the two, observing them as I stood, to join the Doctor. "Who are you two, then?"

"Stuart Hoskins," the groom said.

"Sarah Clarke," said the bride.

The Doctor looked down at Sarah's baby bump, "And one extra. Boy or girl?"

Sarah ran her hands over the bump with a soft smile, "I don't know. I don't want to know, really."

"How did all this get started?" the Doctor asked.

Sarah glanced at Stuart and he answered, "Outside the Big Box Club. Two in the morning."

"Street corner. I'd lost my purse. Didn't have money for a taxi," Sarah added.

"I took her home," Stuart continued.

I smiled, "Then what? Asked her on a date?"

"Wrote his number on the back of my hand," Sarah said.

Stuart smiled, "Never got rid of her since. My dad said—" He faltered, Sarah's lip trembled, and the reaper-birds screeched outside.

Almost in tears Sarah said, "I don't know what this is all about. And I know WE'RE not important..."

The Doctor looked between the two of them shocked, "Who said you're not important?" Sarah looked back at him, tears in her eyes. "I've travelled to all sorts of places. Done things you couldn't even imagine, but... you two... street corner. Two in the morning. Getting a taxi home. I've never had a life like that. Yes." He smiled. "I'll try and save you."

Sarah smiled back at him through her tears. I took her hand and pulled her a little bit away. She looked at me confused and I just smiled, "I promise you Sarah. You, Stuart," I motioned to her baby bump, "And your baby, will make it out of this alive. Your going to get married and have your wonderful baby." Sarah, being a hormonal pregnant woman in a stressful situation, broke down and wrapped her arms around me. I stilled, not sure what to do for a moment, before wrapping my arms back around her. The Doctor met my eyes and he smiled at me.

-x-x-x-

After I was able to pry Sarah off me, with the help of her future husband, I was attacked into another hug. Small arms wrapped around my legs, locking me in place. I looked down only to see young Mickey. I smiled at him. "Hello Mickey," I said softly.

Jackie came rushing over while holding a fussy Rose in her arms. "Mickey," she scolded. "Stop running off." She then turned her attention to me, "You. You're the girl that save the Harper's boy."

"Harper?" I asked confused for a moment before it hit me. "Oh, the little boy from before." I nodded, "Ya. That was me."

"That was a brave thing you did, saving little Owen."

I nodded, "Well I wasn't really thinking…" I cut myself off as I connected the dots between the little boy's name and the name of someone I knew in the future. A certain Dr. from Torchwood. "Owen Harper?" I confirmed.

"Ya. Mind you little Owen has always know to run off and do god knows what when his parents aren't looking but thank god you where there."

I looked at the little boy I had saved as he sat, cradled in his mother's arms. "It was nothing. I just reacted."

Mickey suddenly released my legs and ran off, "Mickey!" Jackie cried. She then held out her arms for me to hold baby Rose. "Hold her while I get him."

I nodded absently, "Sure." Jackie Tyler transferred her daughter into my arms and then raced after her daughter's future boyfriend. I stood still for a moment, before looking down at Rose. I smiled at her sweet face and brought her over to where Jackie left her carrying car-seat. I sat down, bouncing Rose as she calmed down in my arms.

The Doctor came over, looking at the baby in my arms. "Is that Rose?" he asked.

I nodded, "Yes. Jackie had to run after Mickey so she gave her to me." I paused. "You know how I saved that little boy?" The Doctor flinched but nodded. "I know him, or well, I met him."

"How?" he asked confused.

"When I went to drop off the food I made for my _friend_ back home," I said. I nodded to the little boy. "He was there. All grown up, very handsome. Even though I'm not a fan, he was still there." I looked to the Doctor with tears in my eyes. "I know him the same way I know you." His eyes widened. "I know how he's going to die. And it hurts that I cant say anything about it. It only just hit me that I can never tell anyone. I can barely tell you, what I've seen, what I know, until after the fact." I looked the Doctor in the eyes. "How do you deal with it Doctor? How can you deal with knowing someone is going to die and that you cant do anything to change that or risk everything in their lives?"

The Doctor was silent a moment before saying, "You just do." I laughed, causing the little Rose in my arms to giggle to. The Doctor's attention turned to her and he said, "Now, Rose... you're not gonna bring about the end of the world, are you?" His voice was a little stern. "Are you?" Baby Rose stared at him innocently and I laughed. Our Rose came over to us, the Doctor glanced at her and said, "Jackie gave her to Faline to look after. How times change."

Rose was tearful, but she tried to make a joke, "I'd better be careful. I think I just imprinted myself on Mickey like a mother chicken."

Rose reached out to touch herself as a baby but I stood and moved from the blonde as the Doctor grabbed her hand quickly and pushed it away. "No. Don't touch the baby." The reaper-birds outside distract our Rose for a moment as the screech louder than before. "You're both the same person and that's a paradox, and we don't want a paradox happening. Not with these things outside. Anything new - any disturbance in time makes them stronger. The paradox might let them in." While he spoke I placed baby Rose in her carrying car seat, giving her my hand to play with.

Rose frowned as she said softly, "Can't do anything right, can I?"

The Doctor spoke as though talking to a dimwit, "Since you ask, no. So, don't - touch - the - baby." I kicked him in the shin but he didn't even flinch.

Rose's eyes narrowed, "I'm - not - stupid."

"You could've fooled me," Rose looked away from the stinging words. The Doctor repented slightly, "All right. I'm sorry." Rose looked back at him, his eyes softer. "I wasn't really gonna leave you on your own." He nodded to me, "Faline wouldn't let me."

The three of us laughed softly. Rose nodded, "I know."

"But between the three of us, I haven't got a plan. No idea."

I laughed and they both looked to me, "Doctor since when do you _ever_ have a plan? Your more of a take it as it goes kind of guy. And you always will be."

"You'll think of something," Rose said softly.

"The entire Earth is being sterilized. This, and other place like it, are all that's left of the human race. We might hold out for a while, but nothing can stop those creatures." He looked at the shadows circling the church. "They'll get through in the end. The walls aren't that old. And there's nothing I can do to stop them. There used to be laws stopping this kind of thing from happening - my people would have stopped this. But they're all gone. And now I'm going the same way."

"If I'd realized..." Rose said softly.

The Doctor looked at her until she met his eyes, "Just... tell me you're sorry."

Rose continued to stare at him and said sincerely, "I am. I'm sorry."

The Doctor nodded and pulled her into a hug. However their hug was short lived when I gasped loudly. They turned to me as I yanked my hand from baby Rose and reached into my dress, pulling out a burning TARDIS key. The Doctor too pulled out his own TARDIS key, dropping it on the floor to keep it from burning his hand. I was able to keep my key around my neck because of how thick my dress was. "It's the TARDIS key!" The Doctor said excitedly as he took off his jacket and used it to pick up the hot key. " It's telling me it's still connected to the TARDIS!"

The Doctor grabbed my hand with his spare hand and pulled me with him to the alter. I ignored the fact that it was the Doctor, the man who I was falling madly in love with, and me under said alter and tried to focus on him. The Doctor began to address the remaining guests who gathered on the chairs, listening to him like I was. He lifted up the burning TARDIS key. "The inside of my ship was thrown out of a wound but we can use THIS to bring it back. And once I've got my ship back, then I can mend everything. Now, I just need a bit of power. Has anybody got a battery?"

Stuart the groom noticed his late-father's cell phone on the chair in front of him. He jumped up and showed the Doctor. "This one big enough?"

The Doctor rushed to him, and smiled, "Fantastic."

"Good old dad." Stuart handed the phone to the Doctor, "There you go."

The Doctor handed the key to me, having me use another part of his jacket to do so. "Just need to do a bit of charging up..." He pressed his sonic screwdriver to the battery. "And then we can bring everyone back." He glanced around the church as the battery charged. His eyes then landed on me as I rubbed my chest, where the key had burnt me. "Are you alright?"

I glanced at the Doctor and nodded, "Ya. I've had worse burns then the one the key gave me." The Doctor nodded, I'm sure that the both of us were thinking of when we were on the viewing station at Earth's End.

The Doctor pulled the sonic screwdriver away from the battery when it charged fully. "Faline," he said to me. I walked closer to him. "Hold the key right," he moved my hand holding the glowing TARDIS key, "there." He stopped my hand, holding it for a moment longer before pulling away. The Doctor then began to attach the battery to the TARDIS key. After a few moments he grabbed my hand and said, "Let go." I let go of the key and it stayed suspended in air.

I smiled at the Doctor, "Awesome." The TARDIS began to materialize, the key safe in her lock. I handed the Doctor his jacket and he pulled it on, grinning. He ran up the steps to the pulpit, I'm amazed I knew what that was, to address the guests. "Right, no-one touches that key. Have you got that? Don't touch it. Anyone touches that key, it'll be - well - ZAP. Just leave it be and everything will be fine. We'll get out of here. All of us. Stuart - Sarah - you're gonna get married, just like I said." He grinned at them.

-x-x-x-

It's been about five minutes since the TARDIS first began to materialize. All we could do was sit and wait. The Doctor, Rose, and I sat side by side towards the back of the church. Pete was a seat behind us and Jackie was a few in front with baby Rose and Mickey who seamed just as taken with her as a baby as he did back in 2005 or 2006, whenever we took Rose from.

Rose turned slightly to the Doctor, "When time gets sorted out..."

"Everybody here forgets what happened," the Doctor said. "And don't worry - the thing that you changed will stay changed."

"You mean I'll still be alive," said Pete suddenly. I had almost forgotten he was behind us. Rose turned back to her father, but said nothing. "Though I'm meant to be dead." Rose just continued to look at him and he nodded, "That's why I haven't done anything with my life. Why I didn't MEAN anything."

The Doctor shook his head, "It doesn't work like that."

"Rubbish. I'm so useless I couldn't even die properly. Now it's my fault all of this has happened."

Rose reached over suddenly and placed her hand on his arm. "This is MY fault."

Pete shook his head, "No, love. I'm your dad. It's my job for it to be my fault." I gave a slight smile. I wish my father had been like that, he had a choice unlike Pete. He _chose _to leave.

Jackie suddenly came to stand beside us with baby Rose in her arms, "Her dad? How are you her dad? How old were you, twelve?" The Doctor rolled his eyes distancing himself from them and ultimately coming closer to me. "Oh, that's DISGUSTING."

Pete stood, "Jacks - listen. This is Rose."

Jackie's voice was livid, but she kept it low so none of the others could hear. "Rose? How sick is that? You give my daughter a second hand name? How many are there? Do you call them ALL Rose?"

"Oh, for God's sake, look! It's the SAME Rose!" Pete took baby Rose from Jackie's arms and placed her into grown Rose's arms.

The Doctor and I rushed forward at the same time. "Rose! No!" the Doctor cried. It was too late. As I pulled baby Rose from grown Rose's arms a reaper-bird appeared in the middle of the church. "Everyone! Behind me!" Everyone rushed behind the Doctor, me being directly behind him. The reaper-bird chirped menacingly and spread its wings. I grabbed the Doctor's hand after passing baby Rose back to her mother. "I'm the oldest thing in here."

The reaper-bird bared down on him. I released the Doctor's hand and took a step back, knowing the Doctor well enough to know what he was going to do. "Doctor!" Rose screamed.

The reaper-bird consumed the Doctor. Everyone began screaming. The reaper-bird swooped around the church and then collided with the semi-transparent TARDIS – and disappeared. The TARDIS followed and the key fell to the ground, no longer glowing. Silence fell across the room as I ran forward and fell to my knees. I picked up the key on the ground and clutched my own. "It's cold," I whispered as tears cascaded down my cheeks. I knew the Doctor couldn't die yet, he just couldn't.

"Faline," Rose said softly as she came beside me on the ground. I looked to Rose and latched myself onto her, crying. It then hit Rose what had just happened, "Oh, my God, he's dead." She shook Pete off when he tried to touch her. "It's all my fault... all of you... both of you..." Her voice began to crack as the impact of what has happened came crashing down on her. Pete wrapped the both of us into his arms. "... the whole world..." I clutched the blonde tighter, trying to silently tell her it wasn't her fault. I didn't trust my own voice. "I'm so sorry Faline." It was then that I broke down.

-x-x-x-

Rose sat in the back of the church, absently running her hand through my hair as my head lay in her lap. Since the Doctor was- since he left I hadn't let go of Rose. Rose was my last link to everything and I wasn't going to let her go. I glanced up to Pete come over, carrying his jacket.

"The Doctor really cared about you two..." Rose looked at him as I sat up, wiping away my tears. "He didn't want you to go through it again if there was another way. Now there isn't."

Rose and I stood, "What're you talking about?" Rose asked.

Pete pulled his jacket on, "The car that should've killed me, love. It's here. The Doctor worked it out way back, but he, er - he tried to protect me." Pete looked to me. "And so did you. Still - he's not in charge anymore. I am."

"But you can't..." Rose said, her voice cracking.

Pete reached out and stroked Rose's face. "Who am I, love?"

Rose gave him a watery smile, "My Daddy."

Jackie came up to us. She looked at Rose with wide eyes. Pete turned to her, "Jackie... look at her. She's ours."

Jackie took at long look at Rose and then truth suddenly dawning on her. Rose just stared at her mother back, tearfully. "Oh, God..." She threw her arms around Rose, eyes shut tightly. She pulled away and looked to me, "What about you?" Pete too looked at me.

I shook my head, "No. I'm not yours, either of yours. I'm a friend of Rose's and the Doctor." My voice was weak when I spoke his chosen name.

Jackie nodded and then looked to Pete. "I'm meant to be dead, Jackie. You're gonna get rid of me at last."

Jackie shook her head, holding back tears. "Don't say that."

"For once in your life, trust me. It's got be done. You've got to survive, because you've got to bring up our daughter." He gestured to Rose and then pulled Jackie in for one last kiss. He turned back to Rose. "I never read you those bedtime stories. I never took you on those picnics. I was never there for you."

Tears fell down Rose's cheeks, "You would've been."

"But I can do this for you. I can be a proper dad to you now," Pete said.

"But it's not fair."

Pete smiled, "I've had all these extra hours. No-one else in the world has ever had that. And on top of that... I get to see you." He took her face into his hands. "And you're beautiful." Rose sobbed. "How lucky am I, eh? So, come on... do as your dad says." Slowly, tears still flowing, and without looking at him, Rose handed him the vase that would have caused his death. "Are you going to be there for me, love?" Rose nodded. Pete placed a hand on her shoulder and looked into her eyes. "Thanks for saving me." He pulled his wife and his daughter into a tight embrace while I watched with a watery smile. Pete looked at me and said, "Take care of her."

I nodded, "I swear."

-x-x-x-

Rose and I stood by the window watching the outside. The reaper-birds flew around the church when Pete rushed out of the doors, holding the vase. Rose gripped my hand tighter. Pete stopped just outside the gate and looked up at one of the reaper-birds as it began to bear down on him. Pete turned to see the car appear from thin air around the corner. We watched as he ran straight out in front of it. Rose turned her face into my shoulder as I closed my eyes, listening. I heard the rush of breaks and the sound of the vase hitting the ground. Rose and I made out way outside the church. "Rose," I said softly after a few moments. "Don't let him be alone." Rose broke her hand from mine and ran out of the church gates and down the road. I followed out the gates to see her knee down next to her dying father. She held his hand and cradled his head as he slowly died.

I walked to Rose and her, now dead, father. Rose stood and took my hand when I came beside her. Beside the driver's car was the Doctor. He waited for us to come beside him before he took Rose's hand and the three of us walked to the TARDIS. There was nothing said, between us. I broke free of Rose's grip when the TARDIS came into view and used my key to open her. We walked in and the Doctor automatically went to the console to send Rose home. It was obvious that was where she wanted to go at the moment. It wasn't long before the Doctor, Rose, and I stepped back outside the TARDIS. "You okay Rose?" I asked softly as she looked at her apartment building back in her own time.

Rose gave me a soft smile, "I got to meet him. I got to be there for him when he needed me the most. I'm surprisingly okay."

"Do you want me to go up with you?" I asked.

Rose shook her head. "Its okay. I'm just going to spend time with my mum." Rose hugged me. "Thank you," she whispered. I returned the hug. She released me and hugged the Doctor. She whispered something to him and he whispered something back making her nod. Rose pulled away and then began to walk to her apartment building.

The Doctor took my hand and led me inside the TARDIS. As he closed the doors I pulled his TARDIS key from my pocket. "Here," I said handing it to him.

The Doctor nodded and stared at me for a moment, "Rose told me how you were when I died. How you broke down."

I wrapped my arms around myself and turned from him. I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned to the Doctor. I wrapped my arms around his waist, burring my face into his chest. "Please," I whispered. "Please never leave."

"I'll try," he said softly. I accepted that answer. In a way he will leave me, but for now I can accept that I have my Doctor for a little while longer.

**END**


	9. 1x09

**1x09 "The Empty Child"**

"So what's the emergency break?" I asked the Doctor. At the moment he was trying to teach me to fly the TARDIS, not that he could fly her well in the first place.

"It's mauve," the Doctor said nodding to one of the buttons.

I gave him a look, pausing in my rushing around the console. "Mauve…"

"The universally recognized color for danger," he told me.

"Of course," I muttered. "Then what about red?"

"That's just humans. By everyone else's standards, red's camp. Oh, the misunderstandings. All those red alerts, all that dancing." He gestured to the object on the monitor we were following after as we raced through the Time Vortex. The Doctor had been teaching me to drive the TARDIS before he decided to follow it, but when he saw it he decided to teach on the fly. Idiot. "It's got a very basic flight computer - I've hacked in, slaved the TARDIS. Where it goes, we go."

I laughed and said sarcastically, "And that sounds _so_ safe."

"It is!" the Doctor protested. Part of the console exploded. "Okay, reasonably. Should have said reasonably there."

"Idiot," I muttered.

"Oh, no, no, no, no, no! It's jumping time tracks - getting away from us." The Doctor rushed around hitting more buttons and making me hold down more levers.

"What are we following?" I asked, realizing he never bothered to tell me.

"No idea," he said.

"Of course," I said. "So _why_?"

The Doctor gave me a look like it was the most obvious thing in the world, "It's mauve and dangerous. And about 30 seconds from the center of London." The TARDIS bolted forward after the object before materializing. I sighed and pulled up the hood of my tunic shirt after it had fallen during our crazy ride. I followed the Doctor out of the TARDIS. The Doctor looked around and asked, "Do you know how long we can knock around space without having to bump into Earth?"

I shrugged, "I don't know. All depends on the type of adventure we go on Nine. Or when I want to eat human food."

"Of all the species in all the universe, it has to come out of a cow," the Doctor said teasing me because I had stopped on Earth more than once for milk. I was very picky, we even had to go to the good old USA to get it. That part bothered him like nothing else. I was willing to buy anything else in London, but for my milk I had to get it from the USA. I have issues.

"Shut up," I told him.

The Doctor began to walk forward and I followed him. "Must have come down somewhere quite close. Within a mile, anyway. And it can't have been more than a few weeks ago. Maybe a month."

I grabbed his arm, "A month?" I asked. "Seriously?"

"It was jumping time tracks all over the place, we're bound to be a little bit out. Do YOU wanna drive?"

I smirked, "I'd do a better job then you." The Doctor gave me a small glare. "So what's your plan all mighty Time Lord?"

"Faline, it hit the middle of London with a very loud bang. I'm gonna ask." The Doctor whipped out his psychic paper.

I frowned without even looking at it, "I cant read it remember?" We had learned a few trips ago that I couldn't see anything the psychic paper said. I could will it to say anything, but never read it myself. The Doctor figures its because I was never able to see what it said in my universe, so it kept me from seeing it in his. Though when I said that it probably meant I wasn't as brilliant as he thought he dropped that idea and said that I was just _too_ brilliant.

The Doctor turned the psychic paper back to himself and read it to me, "Doctor John Smith, Ministry of Astroids."

"Ministry of Astroids?" I asked. "Really?"

The Doctor ignored my question and turned his attention to the door we had come across. He took out his sonic screwdriver and used it to unlock the door. I used that time to look around, this was familiar. Now all I had to do was place the adventure. I tilted my head when I heard an eerie voice call out to me, "Muuuu-mmy?" I spun around. "Muuuu-mmy?" I searched the alleyway, building doors and windows for the source of the sound. "Muuuuumy?"

I finally saw a little boy wearing a gas mask on the rooftop. I gasped recognizing the gas mask child. "Doctor? Doctor? There's a kid up there!" I spun to speak to him only to see that I was alone. I glared at the door muttering, "Damn you Nine." I turned and made my way to the building that help the gas mask child on the roof. "Sweetie?" I called. "Are you alright?"

"Muuuuum-my?" the child asked. I ran up the steps that led to the building's rooftop. At almost the top of the steps I looked up to see the gas mask child standing precariously on the edge. "Mummy?"

"Sweetie!" I said causing his attention to move to me. "Don't move I'm coming to get you."

A rope swung into sight and I paused in grabbing it. I looked at for a moment before I moved my attention to the child. I grabbed the rope, wrapping my arm around it before pulling myself up. I began climbing the rope and was almost to the child before he said, "Mummy..." I looked to the gas mask child. "Balloon!" The child pointed up and I followed his gaze.

The rope moved away from the building, taking me with it; still hanging on tightly. The rope was attached to a barrage balloon. "No, no!" I screamed. "Doctor! DOCTOR!" I tightened my grip on the rope, wrapping it around my leg to keep myself from falling. I looked around at the German plans dropping bombs on London. My gaze then drifted downward, before shooting back up and staring at the sky. "Oh god. Oh god." Tears slipped down my cheeks. Now was a bad time to remember my complete and utter fear of heights. I tried not to think about how I was suspended hundreds of feet above London and the only thing keeping me from falling was my slipping grip on a thick rope as planes flew past me, not knowing I was there. But clearly, that wasn't going so well. I imagined myself only a few feet off the ground and that the planes moving past me were paper, that there was a soft landing underneath me. However, every time a bomb struck the ground I looked down to see where it had struck causing whatever terror that had left me, maybe 1% to return with a vengeance.

My grip on the rope began to slip, my hands burning as I slid. The rope around my leg came undone causing me to slip even further. The rope slid from my hands and I began to fall. I scream tore from my throat and I closed my eyes. I didn't want to see buildings rush past me as I fell; the whipping wind was bad enough. I kept my eyes closed until I heard a voice call out, "Okay, okay, I've got you."

I opened my eyes, recognizing the voice. I was inside of a blue light field that came from somewhere by Big Ben. Tears fell faster. "Jack," I croaked.

There was a pause before he asked on the loudspeaker, "How do you know my name?"

I shook my head, "Please Jack. Bring me aboard, and I'll tell you. Just please."

"I'm programming your descent pattern. Keep as still as you can and keep your hands and feet inside the light field," he told me. I held my body as stiff as a board. "Oh, and could you switch off your cellphone? It interferes with my instrument." I stuck my shaking hand into my pocket, and shut off my phone, not daring to remove it. "Thank you. That's much better."

"Jack," my voice cracked at his name. "Please, please just get me aboard."

"Ready for you. Hold tight!" as he spoke I was pulled though the tunnel of blue light onto his ship. I kept my eyes closed and within a few moments Jack held me safely in his arms. I wrapped my arms around his neck and began to sob. Jack shushed me softly. "No, come on. Don't cry. I still need you to tell me how you know me."

I laughed softly. Straight to the point. "You're a Time Agent," I muttered. "You figure it out."

"How did you-" he started.

"Jack," I said softly tightening my arms around his neck. "Please. Just shut up for a minute. I almost fell to my death and I have a serious fear of heights. Please, let me calm down before you go crazy on me."

I felt Jack nod. He tightened his grip on me, his hands thankfully not straying. "Okay." He sat down in his cot, cradling me in his arms. It only took a few moments for me to completely pass out.

-x-x-x-

I opened my eyes and slowly sat up. I noticed that I was lying on the cot in Jack's ship, alone. Not that I minded that at all, no matter how gorgeous he is and how many times I shushed my friends when he came on screen I always thought of him as the 'perfect big brother'. I looked at Jack where he sat in the pilot seat and he gave me a soft smile, "Better now?" he asked.

I nodded and glanced around, finally taking notice on how dark it was in here. "Can you turn the lights on Jack?"

Jack pressed a button on the armrest of his chair and the lights came on. "How do you know me?" he asked.

"I've met you in the future, can't say how far. Can't say when. But I can say that I know you pretty well, or at least your future version." I saw a look pass over his face and immediately added, "And not the way in which you think Jack." I bit my lip, "But seeing as I never got the proper greeting from you, and you never got one from me I think we should have one now."

Jack nodded, "Captain Jack Harkness. 133 Squadron Royal Airforce - American Volunteer." He held out what would have been his identification for me to take. "But I suppose you know that's false."

I nodded taking the 'identification', "Two reasons. One you already know, and two because psychic paper doesn't work on me _at all_. I can't even see what I place on psychic paper."

"How do you know about psychic paper?"

"I have a friend who uses this all the time," I said.

"Ah," Jack nodded.

I shrugged, "Plus I think this says something completely different than that."

"What makes you think that?" he asked.

"Because I _know_ you Jack," I said with a smile. "You play for all teams."

Jack smirked, "You do know a lot." I handed his psychic paper back. He looked at it and laughed, "American. Eighteen. And a Time Traveler." He was silent for a moment.

I frowned, "What?"

"It says you see me as a brother," he said softly.

I nodded, "Ya. I suppose I do. You always seamed like the perfect big brother to me, and most males I encounter I see as family. You, my dear Jack, are part of that list." I then remembered a heartbreaking scene from Torchwood that made me add, "Unless you don't want me to. I can completely understand that Jack."

He stared at me and shook his head, "No. That's fine." He looked back at the psychic paper. "What this doesn't tell me is your name."

"Sorry," I held out my hand. "Faline Marks."

"Faline?" he said softly. I nodded, watching his face. Something dark and sorrowful passed across it. Jack then smiled, "Good."

I watched Jack for a moment longer and retracted my hand when he didn't take it. I stood from the cot and looked around Jack's spaceship. … I snickered to myself 'Jack's Spaceship'. Thankfully Jack didn't notice; he merely stood watching me as I ran my fingertips along the ceiling. "Nice spaceship," I said.

Jack nodded, "Gets me around."

I hummed, "Very... Spaceship-y."

"Spaceship-y?" he repeated, clearly amused at my choice of words.

"Clearly this isn't you original time, Time Agent," I said.

Jack looked at the device on his wrist. His Vortex Manipulator. "A cell phone and fabrics that won't be around for at least another two decades... guessing its not your original time either."

I smirked, "Ding ding ding, we have a winner." I didn't bother to say, at least aloud, that this wasn't my original dimension either. I took a seat in his pilots seat, examining all of the boring looking buttons and levers. The TARDIS was _way_ more entertaining than this spaceship. There was only one thing this spaceship had that the TARDIS didn't and that was Jack. I turned around in the seat, gasping in pain when my hands hit something they shouldn't. I looked at my palms, they were bright pink from the exposed raw skin and a few places were bleeding slightly.

"Burn your hands on the rope?" Jack almost jumped at my gasp of pain. I nodded, still looking at my hands. At least they weren't as bad as on Earth's End. "Show me your hands," he said in the same tone and way he had on Earth's End.

I stared at him a moment, "It seams nothing really changed."

Jack frowned, "What?"

"I hurt my hands when _I_ first met you too. You said the same thing in the same tone, its just good to know that you wont change much between now and then."

Jack stared at me for a moment similar to how I stared at him but shook his head slightly and said, "Faline, let me see your hands." I didn't show him my hands just yet. "Please, Kitten?" I held out my hands to him and he ran a scanner over them.

"Kitten?" I asked.

"Hmm?" Jack said, not really noticing I spoke.

"Jack," I said. "You called me 'Kitten'."

Jack looked at me a moment, "Don't worry about it. It wont happen again."

"I don't mind," I said softly. "I know that my name means 'cat' or 'kitten'. And you've called me that before. I was just wondering _why_ you called me that."

"Same reason," he said. I knew he was lying, but didn't bother to call him on it. We were both quiet a moment, "So you're a Time Agent." I gave him a look. "I've been expecting one of you guys to show up. Though, not, I must say, by barrage balloon. Do you often travel that way?"

I shivered, "No. I just… there was a little kid on the roof of a building. I didn't want him to get hurt so I went after him. I used the rope to help me climb part way, I … I didn't notice that it lead to a barrage balloon." A tear slipped down my cheek just thinking about the height. "I'm really terrified of heights when I'm alone. If someone was with me I might have kept myself from getting too hysterical, but alas I was alone. And me being completely paranoid didn't help. I kept seeing myself fall to my death." Jack took off his scarf and began to wrap it around my wrists. "Do I want to know?" I asked.

"Try to keep still," Jack told me. He finished binding my hands and leaned over me to switch a button over my head. I tilted my head in confusion as a bleeping sound came around us. What looked like tiny golden fireflies appeared above the wounds on my hands. "Nanogenes. Sub-atomic robots. The air in here's full of them." A smile came across my face as the nanogenes worked their magic on the burns on my hands. Of course I still liked the Doctor's green goo way better, it felt a lot better than this even though this wasn't painful. Jack switched the button again and the nanogenes disappeared. "They just repaired three layers of your skin." He took the scarf off my wrists.

I smiled looking at my hands. "Pretty cool, thanks Jack."

"We'll get down to business," Jack said.

I frowned, "Business?"

Jack turned from me, opening a case and pulling out a bottle of chilled champagne. "Shall we have a drink on the balcony?" He pressed a button and steps to the rood lowered themselves into the spaceship. Jack began to make his way up the stairs. "Bring up the glasses."

I watched Jack for a long moment before doing as he commanded. I grabbed the glasses and then made my way up the stairs, shaking slightly as I did so. I looked to my right and a smile spread across my face; this spaceship was parked right beside Big Ben. However, when I glanced down my smile disappeared. "Jack," I said pathetically. Jack turned with a smile, but it dropped when he saw my face. He took a device from his pocket and flicked a switch. The spaceship, once invisible, became visible. I took a deep breath, "Thanks Jack." I paused as he began to uncork the bottle. "So, you have a big old spaceship attached to Big Ben."

"First rule of active camouflage. Park somewhere you'll remember," he popped the cork out of the bottle with a loud bang. The two of us laughed as Jack filled up the champagne glasses.

I took a small sip and smiled to Jack, "You know back home I wouldn't be aloud to have champagne for another three years or so."

Jack smiled, "Yes. Well, that isn't stopping you from having any now is it."

"Not at all," I said taking another sip.

-x-x-x-

Jack and I have been sitting on the top of his spaceship for a while now, almost an hour. I slowly stood, using his shoulder for balance. "I have to be getting back," I said.

Jack pouted, "We're discussing business."

I laughed, "Jack, all we've done for the past hour is drink champagne and talking about past adventures."

"I try never to discuss business with a clear head." He stood and walked towards me, "Are you travelling alone? Are you authorized to negotiate with me?"

"Depends," I said. "What are we negotiating?"

"I have something for the Time Agency. Something they'd like to buy. Are you in power to make payment?"

I bit my lip ring, looking out over London. "I have to discuss this with my companion first."

"Companion?" Jack's smile fell.

I nodded, "Yes. I need to be getting back to him. He's lost without me."

"Him?" Jack said. I looked at the Time Agent closely, something dark flashed behind his glossy blue eyes.

I laughed, "What time is it?" Jack cleared his throat and took the device from before out of his pocket, flicking another switch. Big Ben chimed right beside us. I nodded my head, impressed. "Very nice."

Jack moved closer to me, placing his hands on my waist. "So... when you say 'companion', just how disappointed should I be?"

I smiled. "Very. Every fault you can find I'd be able to back up with something that makes him … brilliant." I took Jack's hands off my waist, "And like I told you. Perfect big brother." I looked around, "Besides, we're standing midair on a spaceship during a German air raid. Now would not be a good time."

"Perhaps not," he said. He turned from me but then asked, "Do you like Glenn Miller?" He pointed the device, which he miraculously pulled from his pocket without me knowing, over his shoulder. 'Moonlight Serenade' began to play. He walked over to me and we began to slow dance. "It's 1941. The height of the London Blitz. The height of the German Bombing Campaign. And something else has fallen on London - a fully equipped Chula Warship. The last one in existence..." My eyes closed as I listened to Jack talk, "... armed to the teeth." He drew back slightly to look at me, "And I know where it is. Because I parked it."

I laughed, "Of course you did."

"If the Agency can name the right price, I can get it for you. But in two hours, a German bomb is gonna fall on it and destroy it forever." He looked at me, suddenly more serious. "That's the deadline. That's the deal. And now, shall we discuss payment?"

"So you're a freelancer now?" I asked. "Kind of hoped you were on the straight and narrow." I laughed to myself. "Captain Jack Harkness on the straight and narrow? Wow, that champagne affected me more than I thought."

"I like to think of myself as a criminal," he said.

I turned, heading back inside his spaceship. I called over my shoulder, "I bet you do!"

Jack jumped down beside me, into the spaceship. "So, this companion of yours - does he handle the business?"

I nodded, "He's the brains of our operation."

"And you're the beauty," he said with a smile.

I shrugged indifferent, "If you want to think that then sure."

"Well, maybe we should go find him so he has something nice to look at too," Jack smiled.

"Okay Jack."

-x-x-x-

Jack ended up leading me to, what looked like an abandoned hospital, but I knew better. I knew that the hospital was filled with others infected with the nanogenes that saved the gas mask child. "Hello?" I called as we walked down the hall. Jack staying with me only because I wouldn't let go of his arm, he had originally suggested we split up. However, I watch way to many horror movies and too much Scooby Doo as a child to know that splitting up led to one of us dying, or in this case being converted into a gas mask 'child'.

"Hello?" Jack echoed. He walked almost behind me, I was still afraid of being attacked by something I couldn't see it seams. Damn those horror movies. We made our way towards a Medical Ward, or at least that's what the signs said. As we turned the corridor I caught sight of the Doctor coming towards us, in the opposite direction of the Medical Ward. Jack saw him too and walked forward, "Good evening. Hope I'm not interrupting - Jack Harkness." He shook the Doctor's hand. "I've been hearing all about you on the way over."

I turned my attention to the Doctor, who was giving me a confused look, "I told him about his being Time Agents." The Doctor nodded.

"And it's a real pleasure to meet you, Mr. Spock." He patted the Doctor on the shoulder and walked off, towards the Medical Ward.

The Doctor turned to me, "Mr. Spock?"

I shrugged, "I couldn't tell him you were the 'Doctor' without having a huge explanation, same goes for Nine. No one knows your _real_ name, so it was either that or Captain Kirk. And seeing as your more Spock than James Kirk, I _borrowed_ the name."

The Doctor was silent a moment before asking, "Where've you been? We're in the middle of a London Blitz, it's not a good time for a stroll."

I gave him a small glare, "I wasn't just _out for a stroll_. You left me! I turned around for one second and you left me." I paused. "I know you know about the gas mask child."

The Doctor's eyes widened. "He didn't touch you did he?"

I shook my head, "No. But I saw him. He was on a roof ledge and even though he cause all of what you saw in there." I nodded to the door. "He's still a child." It was then that I began to walk, the Doctor following. "I went to get him down, and there was a rope … I thought it was attached to the roof." I stopped and turned to the Doctor causing him to almost run into me. "Did I ever tell you I'm completely and utterly _terrified_ of heights?" The Doctor shook his head and I nodded before turning and walking again. "Good, now you know so that way next time you can stop me from grabbing a rope attached to a barrage balloon."

"What?" the Doctor hissed. He grabbed my arm, stopping me. "Are you alright?"

I nodded, "Other than almost falling to my death, which Jack saved me from. And from the burns I got on my hands, which Jack healed. Then yes, I'm fine." I took a step forward and wrapped my arms around the Doctor. "I was so scared."

The Doctor returned the hug, "I'm sorry."

I nodded. We were silent a moment longer before I said, "Jack thinks we're part of the Time Agency. He wants to negotiate a deal between us, involving a Chula warship."

The Doctor pushed me out his grasp and asked with wide eyes, "Chula."

"Ya," I said with a nod. "I told him you were the one he had to deal with about this. And clearly what you don't like the sound of Chula anymore than if it were just a plain old warship."

I followed the Doctor as he suddenly rushed to follow Jack. The Doctor opened the doors to the Medical Ward and Jack stood beside one of the gas mask 'children', scanning them. "This just isn't possible. How could this happen?" he asked, not looking up at us when we entered.

"What kind of Chula ship landed here?" the Doctor asked.

Jack turned to us, "What?"

I sighed and began to explain to the Doctor, "He said it was a warship. He stole it and parked it somewhere out there," I gestured out the window, "somewhere a bomb's gonna fall on it - unless _we _make him an offer."

"What kind of warship?" the Doctor asked.

Jack grew agitated, "Does it matter? It's got nothing to do with this!"

I flinched at the Doctor growled, "This started at the bomb site. It's got EVERYTHING to do with it. What kind of warship?"

"An ambulance!" Jack yelled. He turned on his Vortex Manipulator. "Look." A hologram of the warship appeared. "That's what you chased through the Time Vortex. It's space junk. I wanted to kid you it was valuable. It's empty. I made sure of it. Nothing but a shell. I threw it at you. Saw your time travel vehicle - love the retro look, by the way, nice panels - threw you the bait—"

I flinched at the word, "Bait?" I echoed. Even though I had known it was bait it still hurt being tricked by the man I saw as the 'perfect older brother' even though he didn't see me as anything.

"I wanted to sell it to you and then destroy it before you found out it was junk," Jack continued.

"You said it was a _war_ ship," I said.

"They have ambulances in wars," the hologram disappeared and he walked away from us, annoyed. "It was a con. I was conning you - that's what I am, I'm a con man. I thought you were Time Agents but you're not, are you?"

I shook my head, "No Jack."

"Ahh... should've known," Jack said. "The way you guys are blending in with the local colour - I mean, the Girl was bad enough with supposedly knowing about me, but U-Boat Captain?" I glanced at the Doctor as Jack continued, "Anyway... whatever's happening here has got NOTHING to do with that ship."

I glared at Jack. "You're an idiot," I told him.

"Human DNA's being rewritten..." the Doctor said. "By an idiot." I smirked. "Some kind of virus. It's converting human beings into these things." He nodded towards the bodies. "But why? What's the point?" He turned to me. "Faline?"

I sucked on my lip ring. "Cant tell you. But I can say that you will be pleased by the end of it all, that's why I haven't apologized."

The Doctor stared at me for a long moment before nodding, understanding that I didn't want to risk the ending I told him about by telling him what was going on. I slowly turned and made my way to the gas mask 'children', looking over their bodies. I felt bad for those who were 'infected' and even more so for the original gas mask child. All he wants is to find out who his mother is. Very similar to how I want to find my purpose here with the Doctor. I'm scared to think that this could all suddenly end and the Doctor could be taken from me, or worse I could be taken from the Doctor.

During my absent staring the body in front of me suddenly sat up. I jumped back, being sure not to touch the other bunks as I moved away. All of the other gas mask 'children' had risen and began chanting "Mummy?".

I made my way to the Doctor feeling safer with him, "What's happening?"

"I don't know," the Doctor said as the gas mask 'children' got out of their beds. I grabbed the Doctor's hand, tightening my grip. The gas mask 'children' began to force the three of us backwards. I stood between Jack and the Doctor, holding both their hands. I took comfort in the fact that they were with me, safe for the moment. "Don't let them touch you," the Doctor said pulling me backwards slightly so I could be behind him.

"What happens if they touch us?" Jack asked.

"You're looking at it," the Doctor said. Jack stared at the gas mask 'children' as they chanted "mummy?" backing us up into a wall. Jack too moved slightly in front of me, also protecting me from the gas mask 'children' like the Doctor.

**TO BE CONTINUED**


	10. 1x10

**1x10 "The Doctor Dances"**

The gas mask 'children' surrounded us. The Doctor and Jack stood protectively in front of me as I clutched their hands. The Doctor released my hand and took a step forward. "Go to your room," he said as though speaking to a disobedient child. "Go to your room!" The gas mask 'children' tilter their heads to the side. "I mean it! I am very, very angry with you. I am very, VERY cross! Go - to - your - ROOM!" He pointed violently in no particular direction. All the gas mask 'children' turned and climbed back in their beds. The Doctor sighed with relief as he turned to us, "I'm really glad that worked. Those would've been TERRIBLE last words."

I laughed and said sarcastically, "Your _wonderful_ with children Doctor." I moved from behind Jack, patting his arm as I passed, and sat on the table in the middle of the room. Jack settled down in the chair beside me. "So the gas masks, they're stuck on right?" I asked.

"Not just stuck on," Jack said. "They're not. Those masks are flesh and bone." I shivered a little grossed out about the idea.

"How was your con supposed to work?" the Doctor asked Jack.

"Simple enough, really. Find some harmless piece of space-junk... let the nearest Time Agent track it back to Earth. Convince him it's valuable, name a price. When he's put 50% up front - oops! A German bomb falls on it, destroys it forever. He never gets to see what he's paid for. Never knows he's been had. I buy him a drink with his own money, and we discuss dumb luck. The perfect self-cleaning con."

I slapped Jack upside the head as the Doctor rolled his eyes saying, "Yeah. Perfect."

Jack gave me a look before continuing, "The London Blitz is great for self-cleaners - Pompeii's nice if you want to make a vacation of it though, but you've got to set your alarm for volcano day." He laughed at his own joke and I shivered. My mind went to a Doctor Who episode and my eyes met the Doctor's. I looked away quickly, who was I to tell him what happens then. Its one choice, a fixed point in time even with the knowledge I held he was going to do everything needed to keep the timeline the same. The Doctor gave Jack a look and the Time Agent's laughter died. "Getting a hint of disapproval."

The Doctor gestured around the room, "Take a look around the room. This is what your 'harmless piece of space-junk' did."

"It was a burnt-out medical transporter - it was empty," Jack said. It sounded like he was trying to convince himself after seeing the damage first hand.

The Doctor began to walk off and I stared at him a moment. "Faline," he said. I stood from the table and made my way over to him.

"And where are we going?" I asked, following my Doctor blindly. Every companion has done it, following him where they would never dream of going even if it was to the end of the universe.

"We're going upstairs," he said.

I nodded as I saw Jack stand from his seat and call after the Doctor. "I even programmed the flight computer so it wouldn't land on anything living - I harmed no-one! I don't know what's happening here, but believe me - I had nothing to do with it."

"I'll tell you what's happening. You forgot to set your alarm clock," the Doctor said. "It's volcano day."

A siren went off in the distance causing me to jump with a squeak. Both turned to me with their own version of an amused look. "What's that?" I asked.

"The all-clear," Jack explained.

The Doctor gave Jack another look and said, "I wish." He then left the 'Medical Ward' with Jack and I following close behind.

"Mr. Spock?" Jack called.

"Doctor?" I echoed. We rushed past a flight of stairs where the Doctor popped his head around the banister. "Have you got a blaster?"

Jack and I slid to a halt and went back to the staircase. "Sure!" Jack said.

We ran up the stairs and down a hall, finding ourselves outside a door. "The night your space-junk landed, someone was hurt. This was where they were taken."

I frowned, "And what happened to them?"

"Let's find out." The Doctor turned to Jack, "Get it open."

Jack grinned and pulled out the blaster, pointing it to the door with childlike glee. The Doctor moved to stand beside me and I laughed softly, "You are _so_ envious of Jack's toy."

The Doctor gave me a look as Jack's blaster cut a perfect square hole around the lock of the door, causing it to squeak open. "Sonic blaster, 51st century. Weapon Factories of Villengard?"

Jack turned to the Doctor slightly surprised, "You've been to the factories?"

Taking the blaster from Jack he said, "Once."

"Well, they gone now. Destroyed. The main reactor went critical. Vaporized the lot."

The Doctor gave the blaster back, "Like I said - once. There's a banana grove there, now. I like bananas. Bananas are good."

I laughed and the Doctor turned back to me, "You so caused that to happen." I scrunched my nose. "Never take me there. I _hate _bananas." I turned and enter the room before Jack or the Doctor. "Nice blaster Captain," I said almost absently. I felt to my left and flicked on the light switch. The room looked as though it had been vandalized. The window was broken and there was paper and video rolls all over the floor.

"What d'you think?" the Doctor asked after we all took a long look at the room.

"SOMETHING got out of here..." Jack said.

"Yeah. And?"

"Something powerful. Angry."

"Powerful and angry," the Doctor said repeating Jack.

Jack entered a room off to the side, where the glass window had been broken separated. The floors and walls were covered with a child's drawings. There were a few toys on the floor and a little bed in the corner. I followed Jack inside as he spoke, "A child? I suppose this explains 'mummy'."

There was a slight pause before the Doctor set off one of the tapes. A doctor was speaking to the gas mask child. _Do you know where you are?_ The doctor on the tape asked.

_Are you my mummy? _

_Are you aware of what's around you? Can you... see?_

_Are you my mummy? _

_What do you want? Do you know—_the doctor on the tape was cut off as the gas mask child began to throw a tantrum.

_I want my mummy. Are you my mummy? I want my mummy! Are you my mummy? _I looked at the drawings I was stepping on. I bent down and picked one up. It was a picture of the gas mask child's mother. I looked to the other drawings, all of them were of the gas mask child's mother. _Are you my mummy? Mummy? Mummy?_

I looked to the Doctor through the broken glass window, "This was the little boy that I followed to the roof." The Doctor nodded.

_Mummy?_

"He doesn't know who his mother is," I told him.

_Mummy? _

After a moment I heard the sound of the reels of the tape spin as the tape ended. Yet the gas mask child's voice continued, "Mummy? Please, mummy? Mummy?"

The Doctor paced around the room. "Can you sense it?" he asked us.

"Sense what?" Jack asked.

"Coming out of the walls, can you feel it?"

I flinched when I heard the gas mask child again, "Mummy?"

The Doctor stopped pacing and turned to Jack and I. "Funny little human brains, how do you get around in those things?"

I turned to Jack, "When he's stressed he likes to insult species. Particularly humans, because we do _everything_ wrong." I rolled my eyes.

The Doctor had returned to pacing as I spoke. "Faline, I'm thinking." I stuck my tongue out at him. "There are these children living rough around the bomb site. They come out during air-raids looking for food."

"Mummy, please?" the gas mask child said.

"Suppose they were there when this thing - whatever it was - landed?" the Doctor theorized. Though I suppose with the Doctor being as brilliant as he is, it really isn't that much of a theory.

"It was a med-ship. It was harmless." Jack said.

I rolled my eyes, "You crashed it to the Earth. How do you know that someone wasn't hurt?"

The Doctor nodded, "And suppose one was there to get hurt. Suppose one of them was affected - altered?"

"I'm here!" the gas mask child said in almost glee.

"It's afraid. Terribly afraid, and powerful. It doesn't know it yet, but it will do." The Doctor gave a small laugh. "It's got the power of a god, and I just sent it to its room."

"I'm here. Can't you see me?" the gas mask child asked. I finally looked to him, not having to guts to do so before.

"The tape ended. It ran out about 30 seconds ago." The Doctor said.

"I'm here, now. Can't you see me?" the gas mask child said.

I took the Doctor's hand as he said, "I sent it to it's room. THIS is its room." He spun around to face the gas mask child.

"Are you my mummy?" he asked. He cocked his head to the side, looking directly at me. "Mummy?"

I shook my head. "Doctor," I said softly tugging at his hand.

"Okay..." Jack said. "On my signal... make for the door. NOW!" He violently pulled out his blaster and pointed it threateningly at the child, only to see that the blaster had been replaced by a banana.

The Doctor grinned and used his spare hand to produce Jack's blaster. He blasted a square hole in the wall and said, "Go! Now! Don't drop the banana!" He then pulled me with him through the hole.

"Why not?" Jack asked as he followed us.

"Good source of potassium!" the Doctor joked.

The three of us were back in the corridor with the gas mask child approaching us from inside the room. Jack grabbed his sonic blaster from the Doctor, "Give me that!"

"Are you my mummy?" the gas mask child asked.

Jack pointed the blaster at the wall and it rebuilt itself, blocking the gas mask child from getting through the wall to us. "Digital rewind," Jack said tossing the banana back to the Doctor. "Nice switch."

"It's from the Groves of Villengard. I thought it was appropriate." The Doctor said with a smile.

"There's really a banana grove in the heart of Villengard and you did that?"

The Doctor gave a slight shrug, "Bananas are good."

The gas mask child caused a crack in our side of the wall as he tried to break through. "Doctor," I said tightening my grip on his hand.

"Come on!" the Doctor tugged me along as we ran down a short flight od stairs and down another corridor. We turned only to see all the other gas mask 'children' bursting out of the Medical Ward calling 'mummy'. We turned back only to be trapped by another wall of gas mask 'children'. We ran back up the stairs and ended up trapped back where we started with gas mask 'children' on both sides. I stood between the two, sandwiched between the two people in the Doctor's world that I trusted the most.

"It's keeping us here so it can get at us," the Doctor said.

Jack pointed the blaster in one direction before turning it in another. He continued going back and forth. "It's controlling them?"

"It IS them. It's every living thing in this hospital," the Doctor explained.

"Okay. This can function as a sonic blaster, a sonic cannon, and a triple-enfolded sonic disrupter. Doc, what you got?"

The Doctor took out his sonic screwdriver. Jack didn't notice, being too busy pointing his blaster to the gas mask 'children' on his side. "A sonic, er... oh, never mind."

"What?"

The Doctor turned to face the other group of gas mask 'children', switching on his sonic screwdriver. "It's sonic, okay? Let's leave it at that."

"Disrupter? Cannon? What?"

"It's sonic!" the Doctor began to yell. "Totally sonic! I am sonic-ed up!"

"A sonic WHAT?" Jack yelled back.

"SCREWDRIVER!" the Doctor yelled. Jack spun around.

At that moment, the original gas mask child finally managed to punch through the wall. He began to climb through the hole. My eyes widened and I grabbed Jack's wrist and forced him to point his sonic blaster at the floor. "Going down!" I said blasting a hole in the floor. We all fell in a messy heap on the floor of another room below. I gasped in pain, clutching my stomach where Jack he elbowed me painfully. My legs landed over the Doctor's waist and my head on Jack's shoulder, after he had elbowed me of course. Jack quickly took the blaster from me and activated the digital rewind, closing the hole above us. "You both alright?" I asked.

"Could've used a warning...!" the Doctor grumbled as I slowly moved off of him.

"Oh shut up," I grumbled as I stood with the help of Jack.

Jack gave the Doctor a look as he asked, "Who has a sonic screwdriver?"

"I do!" the Doctor said. I rolled my eyes and walked towards the wall trying to find a light switch.

"Who looks at a screwdriver and thinks "oohoo, this could be a little more sonic"?" Jack said.

"What, you've never been bored?" the Doctor said. I ran my hands along the wall, trying to find the switch. "Never had a long night? Never had a lot of cabinets to put up?"

My hand caught the switch and flipped it upwards. I turned only to see a room full of gas mask 'children' sitting up in their beds and calling out 'mummy'. "Fuck," I muttered.

"Door," Jack said. We all rushed to the door as the gas mask 'children' began getting out of bed. Jack jiggled the door only to find it locked. He pulled out his sonic blaster and pulled the trigger, only to find that it wouldn't work. "Damn it!" Jack growled. He stepped back and the Doctor took his place, using the sonic screwdriver to open the door. Jack hit the blaster angrily. "It's the special features, they really drain the battery."

I gave Jack a look, "Seriously?" The Doctor opened the door and we all ran through, me pushing it closed as I passed. We ran down a corridor, blindly following the Doctor. The Doctor led us to a room, slamming the doors shut behind us and locking them with his sonic screwdriver. I looked around the room quickly, seeing that we were in a storage room / break room.

Jack ran to the window, "I was gonna send for another one, but SOMEBODY'S gonna blow up the factory." He glared at the Doctor.

I shrugged, "The first time I met him was right after he had blown up my friends work. Its basically how he communicates."

"Okay, that door should hold it for a bit," the Doctor said coming up beside me.

"The door? The WALL didn't stop it!" Jack growled.

"Well, it's gotta FIND us first! Come on, we're not done yet! Assets, assets!"

"Well, I've got a banana, and at a pinch you could put up some shelves."

The Doctor made his way to the window, "Window—"

"Barred, sheer drop outside. Seven stories."

I sighed, "And clearly no other exits unless we plan on having our faces turned to gas masks."

Jack sat down in a very comfortable looking chair, "Well, the assets conversation went in a flash, didn't it?"

The Doctor turned from the window and eyes Jack for a long moment. He then turned his attention to me. "So, where'd you pick this one up, then?"

"Not the time Doctor," I said warningly.

"She was hanging from a barrage balloon, I had an invisible spaceship." Jack smiled at me. "I never stood a CHANCE." I bit my lip and looked away, not wanting to think about being up in the air.

"Okay, one, we want to get out of here. Two, we _can't_ get out of here. Have I missed anything?" the Doctor asked.

I turned to Jack only to see that he wasn't there anymore. "Ya. Jack's gone." The Doctor spun around to confirm what I had said. His eyes widened when he saw that I was telling the truth and that the Time Agent had disappeared. We were quiet for a long while before the Doctor sat down in the chair Jack had vacated. I watched him for a moment before walking to him and placing my hand on his shoulder. "Alright, so he left us here." I smirked at him, "Why do the _great_ ones always do that?"

The Doctor gave me a look, "I'm making an effort not to be insulted."

I laughed, "Good, because I was joking."

"Okay. Thanks. That _really_ helped," the Doctor said.

An old radio sprang to life causing me to jump as Jack's voice transmitted through, "_Faline? Doctor? Can you hear me?_" We both hurried over to the radio, the Doctor picking it up. "_I'm back on my ship. Used the emergency teleport. Sorry I couldn't take you._" The Doctor turned the radio over only to see that the wires had been ripped out of the radio. "_It's security-keyed to my molecular structure. I'm working on it - hang in there._"

"How're you speaking to us?" the Doctor asked.

"_Om-Com. I can call anything with a speaker grille._"

"Now there's a coincidence," the Doctor said, mostly to himself.

"_What is?_"

"The Child can Om-Com too."

I frowned, "He can?"

The Doctor nodded, "Anything with a speaker grille. Even the TARDIS phone."

"So he can call us?" I asked.

Through the radio the gas mask child spoke, "_**And I can hear you. Coming to find you. Coming to fiiiiind you.**_" I grabbed the Doctor's arm.

"_Doctor, can you hear that?_" Jack asked.

The Doctor nodded, "Loud and clear."

"_I'll try to block out the signal. Least I can do._"

"_**Coming to find you, mummy!**_" the gas mask child said. I flinched and released the Doctor's arm, backing away from the radio. I was terrified that the gas mask child would somehow be able to harm us through the radio. I shook my head, no he cant. But that doesn't mean it was any less terrifying to even think of the idea and know that, had this been another alien encounter, it could be entirely possible.

"_Remember this one, Faline?_" Jack asked.

I smiled as Gleen Miller's 'Moonlight Serenade' began to play through the radio. The Doctor turned to me curiously. "Our song," I said, not at all embarrassed. I knew how I felt about Jack, and so did he. I frowned when I saw the Doctor turn away, clearly not liking it. I suppose he didn't know how I felt about Jack. "Doctor," I said softly. "You know who Jack is… right?"

The Doctor turned to me, "No."

"He's the one that kept texting me, the friend I couldn't tell you about." I sucked on my lip ring. "Well, not this Jack of course. But later on in his life he'll be my Jack, our Jack."

"_Our_ Jack?" the Doctor questioned.

I smiled, "He grows on everyone." I made my way to the chair that the Doctor had vacated. I kept to myself for a long while, using the time to check things on my phone, seeing that strangely enough I had internet service, but then that was probably because of the Doctor using his 'jiggery pokery' on my phone. I looked up at the Doctor, after hearing the constant hum of his sonic screwdriver for the past few minutes. "What you doing?"

The Doctor was holding his sonic screwdriver up against the wall near the window. "Trying to set up a resonation pattern in the concrete. Loosen the bars."

I sighed softly, "You don't believe Jack's coming back, do you?"

"Wouldn't bet my life," he said.

"Why don't you trust him?" I asked.

The Doctor countered with, "Why do you?"

I shrugged, "I don't trust this Jack as much as I trust him in the future. But this version did save me from plummeting to my death." The Doctor was silent. "Also trust him because, other than the fact that he's willing to kill and you avoid it at all coasts, you two are the same. … well that and the fact that Jack dates and dances." The Doctor shot me a look. "What?"

"You just assume I'm..." he trailed off.

I smiled, "What?"

"You just assume that I don't... dance." The Doctor sounded like I had just told him I knew whether or not he wore boxers or briefs.

I giggled, "So your telling me you _do_ dance?" I knew he could dance, but I also knew that he just couldn't dance all that well. Well, at least his eleventh regeneration couldn't dance.

"Nine hundred years old, me. I've been around a bit. I think you can assume that at some point I've DANCED."

My smile grew, "You?"

"Problem?"

I shrugged, "I don't know. Doesn't the universe implode or … cease existing if you were to dance?"

The Doctor then off-handedly said, "Well, I've got the moves but I wouldn't want to boast."

I stood from the chair and turned up the music on the radio. I turned to the Doctor with a smile. He looked around, completely shocked that I was doing what he thought I was doing. I made my way to the Doctor, holding my hand out as he backed himself against the wall. "You say you can dance. Show me."

The Doctor brushed it off saying, "Faline, I'm trying to resonate concrete."

"Doctor, Jack is coming to get us. So come on, nothing bad is going to happen if the Doctor dances."

The Doctor turned off his sonic screwdriver, replaced it in his jacket pocket, and stepped away from the window towards me with an odd expression on his face. He stood in front of me for a moment, completely confused as to what he was supposed to do. The Doctor took my hands and I watched his face closely. He turned my hands over and asked, "Barrage balloon?"

I nodded, "Ya. I told you about it."

"You were handing from a barrage balloon," the Doctor repeated.

"Yes," I said slowly. He looked back at my hands, "Doctor what's wrong?"

"Hanging from a rope a thousand feet above London. Not a cut, not a bruise," he showed me my own hands.

I nodded, "Well Captain Jack kind of, fixed it."

"Oh, we're calling him 'Captain Jack' now, are we?"

I smiled, "He's Jack and he's a captain …"

The Doctor smiled in a self-satisfied sort of way. "He's not really a captain, Faline."

I frowned, "Well I _know_ that. Just like you aren't _really_ a Doctor." I smiled at the shocked look on his face. "I think your just jealous that Jack has the word 'Captain' before his _name_." I knew very well that 'Jack' wasn't even his real name, but rather the name he had taken from a Captain during a World War. I'm pretty sure it was this war too. The Doctor gave a half nod, not denying it. He took my hands and we began to slow dance. "Good, you found your feet."

The Doctor stood rather close to me which I suddenly noticed causing me to nervously bite on my lip ring. "If ever he was a captain, he's been defrocked."

I smiled, "Kind of a shame I missed that."

"Actually, I quit. Nobody takes my frock," Jack said. The Doctor and I looked up in surprise only to see that we were standing in the middle of Jack's ship. The Doctor moved away from me looking at his surroundings, "Most people notice when they've been teleported. You guys are so sweet. Sorry about the delay. I had to take the nav-com offline to override the teleport security."

"You can spend ten minutes overriding your own protocols? Maybe you should remember whose ship it is."

Jack smirked, "Oh, I do. She was _gorgeous_." I smiled. "Like I told Faline - be back in five minutes." He ducked into a compartment underneath the console.

The Doctor looked around, "This is a Chula ship."

"Yeah," Jack called up, "just like that medical transporter. Only, this one _is_ dangerous."

The Doctor snapped his fingers and his hand was instantly surrounded by nanogenes. "That's what Jack used to fix my hands. He called them 'nanogenes'."

"Sub-atomic robots. There's millions of them in here, see? Burned my hand on the console when we landed - all better now. They activate when the bulk head's sealed. Check you out for damage, fix any physical flaws." I smiled and the Doctor banished the nanogenes with a wave of his hand before turning to Jack. "Take us to the crash site. I need to see your space junk."

Jack acted as though he were being nagged, "As soon as I get the nav-com back online." I smiled at the annoyed look that crossed the Doctor's face. "Make yourself comfortable. Carry on with whatever it was you were..." he gestured to the two of us, "... doing."

"We were talking about dancing!" the Doctor said innocently.

"It didn't look like talking," Jack said.

I shrugged, "Wasn't much dancing." The Doctor turned to me. "I can't wait until your Eleven. You can dance then, albeit it looks like someone is slowly killing you, it was better than now."

-x-x-x-

I sat next to Jack, as he sat in his pilot seat. The Doctor sat some ways behind me, not taking part in my conversation with Jack. "So, you _used_ to be a Time Agent, and now you're trying to con them. Why?"

Jack fiddled with the controls, "If it makes me sound any better, its not for the money."

"Then why?"

Jack shrugged, "Woke up one day when I was working for them - found they'd stolen two years of my memories. I'd like them back."

My eyes widened as I stared at him in shock, "They stole your memories?"

"Two years of my life. No idea what I did," Jack paused. "Your friend over there doesn't trust me. And for all I know... he's right not to." The computer beeped. "Okay, we're good to go." I glanced at the Doctor only to see him look up in surprise. "Crash site?"

-x-x-x-

The Doctor, Jack, and I walked over the rail station near the bombsite. My hand was wrapped tightly in the Doctor's hand. Even though he thought that I was falling for Jack, which the Captain and I had agreed would be weird, the Doctor still offered me his hand for comfort and strength. We peered over the barbed wire. "There it is," Jack said. His eyes followed a soldier that paced up and down the line. "Ay, they've got Algy on duty. Must be important."

"We've gotta get past," the Doctor said.

I turned to Jack and smiled. I bumped my hip against his, "Go have fun Jack."

Jack nodded, "I've got to know Algy quite well since I've been in town. I'll distract him." He walked away. "Don't wait up."

As he left the Doctor turned to me noticing me fidget, "Relax, he's a 51st century guy. He's just a bit more flexible when it comes to dancing."

I smiled, "Oh, I know." I snickered. "From the show _he_ was on, which is a bit more … dance filled than yours. Jack is normally the one doing the dancing."

The Doctor chuckled, "So many species, so little time …"

I laughed. "Very true. Well for Jack and his 51st century buddies."

The Doctor and I turned our attention on Jack, watching as he jumped down onto the rail track on the bomb site. Jack made his way to Algy, "Hey, tiger! How's it hanging?"

Algy turned to Jack looking inquisitive, "Mummy?"

"Algy, old sport, it's me."

"Mummy?" Algy asked.

Jack's smile faded. "Its me, Jack."

"Jack?" Alg cocked his head to one side, observing Jack with a child-like curiosity. "Are you my mummu?" He coughed, falling to his knees. Before our very eyes Algy's face began to transform into a gas mask. The other soldiers began to hurry over.

"Stay back!" the Doctor yelled.

Jack turned to the soldiers, "You men! Stay back!"

The Doctor and I rushed over to Jack and Algy. Algy lay on the floor, lifeless. "The effect's become air-borne." The Doctor said. "Accelerating."

"What's keeping _us_ safe?" I asked.

"Nothing," the Doctor said.

The air-raid siren began to sound. Jack looked up saying, "Ah, here they come again."

I bit my lip ring, "Didn't you say a bomb was going to land _here_?"

Jack nodded as singing began to fill the background. The Doctor shook his head, "Never mind about that. If the contaminants air-borne now, there's hours left."

"For what?" Jack asked.

"'Til nothing. 'Til forever. For the entire human race," the Doctor paused. "And can anyone else hear singing?"

I nodded and pointed to a shed. "Over there Doctor."

I followed the Doctor to the shed, the singing getting clearer. "_**Rock-a-by baby, on the tree tops, when the wind blows the cradle will rock...**____**When the bough breaks the cradle will fall, and down will come baby, cradle and all.**_" The Doctor motioned me to stay where I was as he poked his head inside the shed. He made a motion before entering and the singing continued from its short pause. "_**Rock-a-by baby on the tree tops, when the wind blows the cradle will rock...**_" I waited a moment before standing in the doorway, Jack right beside me. We watched the Doctor used his sonic screwdriver on the handcuffs that kept the young woman from leaving. The handcuffs snapped open and she stood. We all left the shed, letting one of the gas mask 'children' sleep.

The Doctor led us over to the bomb site. The Doctor and Jack went forward and uncovered the Chula med-ship while the nameless young woman and I watched. I may not remember her name, I was terrible at them, but I knew that she was connected to the original gas mask child. "You see?" Jack said. "Just an ambulance."

The young woman frowned, "That's an ambulance?"

I nodded as she turned to me for the answer, "Ya. Its kind of from another world." I held my hand out to her, "I'm Faline, by the way."

She shook my hand in return, "Nancy."

I nodded and turned my attention back to Jack as he spoke while looking at the controls of the Chula med-ship. "They've been trying to get in."

I rolled my eyes while the Doctor said, "Of _course_ they have." Jack began to fiddle with the controls, I hoped he knew what he was doing. "They think they've got their hands on Hitler's latest secret weapon. What're you doing?"

"Well, the sooner you see this thing is empty, the sooner you'll see I had nothing to do with it." The controls exploded with sparks and we all jumped backwards. An alarm began to sound from the chip. "Didn't happen last time."

The Doctor gave him a look, "It hadn't crashed last time. They're the emergency protocols." A red light on the control panel began to flash.

A noise drew my attention to the Doctor, I looked towards the gates and saw that they were shaking. "Doctor!" I cried. He turned his attention to me and then to the gates.

"Captain, secure those gates!" the Doctor cried.

"Why?" Jack asked.

"Jack!" I shouted. "Just do it!" The Captain nodded and obeyed.

The Doctor turned to Nancy and asked, "Nancy, how'd you get in here?"

"I cut the wire," she said.

"Show Faline," he commanded. The Doctor tossed me his sonic screwdriver. I silently mused for a moment about how it was much lighter than I thought it would be. "Setting two thousand four hundred and twenty eight D." I frowned. "Reattaches barbed wire. Go!"

I turned and raced after Nancy, following her to the point where she had cut the wires to gain entrance. I quickly set the sonic screwdriver, surprised it worked but then remembered that it was part of the TARDIS and the TARDIS was psychic. Nancy held the wires while I used the sonic screwdriver to fuse them together. When we finished with one we quickly moved to the other. It was silent between us for a few long moments before Nancy asked, "Who are you? Who are any of you?"

I laughed softly, "I don't think you'd believe me."

"You just told me that was an ambulance from another world. There are people running around with gas-mask heads calling for their mummies, and the sky's full of Germans dropping bombs on me. Tell me. Do you think there's anything left I couldn't believe?"

I sucked on my lip ring a moment before saying, "We're time travellers from the future."

"Mad, you are." Nancy said.

I shook my head, "I'm serious. We have a time machine."

"It's not that. All right - you've got a time travel machine. I believe ya. Believe anything, me." She looked up at the sky. "But what future?"

I followed her gaze, seeing the darkness in this war come to life. There were explosions in mid-air. Planes soared around, dropping bombs. "Nancy, I know how horrible this all looks. But this isn't the end. I've seen the end, this is most definitely not it."

Nancy frowned, "How can you say that? LOOK at it."

I nodded, "I know. War is a dirty, nasty, horrible thing to go through. And cant even _begin_ to understand what you've been through Nancy. But, I'm from over 50 years in the future. I may not be from London, but I've been here."

"Been here?" she asked.

I smiled, "Yes. It's beautiful." She still looked unconvinced. "Don't tell the Doctor I told you," I said to her. "But the Germans don't get to London." I pointed to the planes. "That is as far as they will ever get to taking London." I nudged her shoulder. "You Brits are tough. You _win_."

"We win?" Nancy asked in disbelief.

I nodded and Nancy half laughed, finding this unbelievably good news. I stood from my crouch, noticing that we had gone through all the wire. "Come on!" Nancy stood with me and we made our way back to the Doctor and Jack.

As the two of us walked up we saw Jack opening the hatch to the Chula med-ship and listened to him speak to the Doctor, "Its empty. Look at it."

"What do you expect in a Chula medical transporter? Bandages? Cough drops?" The Doctor turned to me. "Faline?"

I smiled and handed the Doctor his sonic screwdriver, "Nanogenes."

The Doctor gave me a smile as he took the screwdriver before he wiped the smile from his face as he turned to Jack, "It wasn't empty, Captain. There was enough nanogenes in there to rebuild a species."

Jack looked completely shaken as he began to understand, "Oh, god."

"Getting it now, are we? When the ship crashes, the nanogenes escape. Billions upon billions of them, ready to fix all the cuts and bruises in the whole world. But what they find first is a dead child, probably killed earlier that night and wearing a gasmask."

I shivered and asked, "They can bring the dead back to life?"

"What's life? Life's easy. A quirk of matter. Nature's way of keeping meat fresh. Nothing to a nanogene. One problem, though - these nanogenes - they're not like the ones on your ship. This lot have never seen a human being before. Don't know what a human being's supposed to look like." We all listened to the Doctor as he explained everything to us. "All they've got to go on is one little body, and there's not a lot left. But they carry right on. They do what they're programmed to do, they patch it up. Can't tell what's gasmask and what's skull, but they do their best. Then off they fly - off they go, work to be done. 'Cos you see NOW they THINK they know what people should look like and it's time to fix all the rest. And they won't ever stop. They won't ever, ever stop. The entire Human Race is gonna be torn down and rebuilt in the form of one terrified child looking for its mother, and NOTHING in the world can stop it!" By the end his voice had risen to almost a shout.

Jack looked shaken as he said defiantly, "I didn't know."

The Doctor gave Jack a cold stare for a few seconds and then went back to examining the med-ship, starting work with his sonic screwdriver. "Faline?" I heard Nancy ask, terror in her voice.

I moved to the young woman, following her gaze. Gas mask 'children' stumbled towards us over the rail-track. They were quiet a distance away, but still too close for comfort. I turned and ran back to the Chula med-ship, looking at the flashing red light on the control panel. "It's calling them, isn't it?" I asked the Doctor.

"The ship thinks it's under attack. It's calling up the troops. Standard protocol," he said.

"But they aren't troops," I said with a frown.

"They are now. This is a battle-field ambulance. The nanogenes don't just fix you up - they get you ready for the front line. Equip you, programme you."

I nodded, "So that's why the Child is so strong. Why he could call us through the radio like Jack."

"It's a fully equipped Chula warrior, yes. All that weapons tech in the hands of a hysterical four year old - looking for his mummy. And now there's an army of them."

The gas mask 'children' surrounded the fence. The four of us looked around nervously. "Why don't they attack?" Jack asked.

"Good little soldiers. Waiting for their commander," the Doctor answered.

"The child?" Jack asked.

"Jamie," Nancy said firmly.

"What?"

Nancy glared at him, "Not 'the child'. Jamie."

The Doctor looked at her while I took her hand. "How much longer until the bomb falls?" I asked Jack.

"Any second," Jack said worriedly.

"What's the matter, Captain? Bit close to the volcano for you?" the Doctor asked.

"He's just a little boy," Nancy said.

The Doctor turned to her and nodded, "I know."

Nancy looked close to tears as she said, "He's just a little boy who wants him mummy."

"I know," the Doctor said. "There isn't a little boy born who wouldn't tear the world apart to save his mummy. And this little boy can."

"What can we do Doctor?" I asked softly.

"I don't know," he admitted.

I nodded as tears welled in Nancy's eyes. "It's my fault."

I turned to her, "No it's not."

"It is. It's all my fault," she protested.

I turned Nancy around and gripped her shoulders, "No. It's not." I said firmly. "If I was in the same situation, I would have done the same as you Nancy." Her eyes widened for a fraction of a second. I nodded, "Yes Nancy. I know."

I glanced past her at the Doctor who began to piece everything together. He spun around, looking at all the gas mask 'children' positioned behind the fence, calling for their mummy, and then back at Nancy who had begun to sob uncontrollably. I wrapped my arms around her in a quick hug. The Doctor asked, "Nancy, what age are you? Twenty? Twenty-one? Older than you look, yes?"

A bomb landed nearby and I flinched but didn't move from my place. "Doctor, that bomb. We've got seconds." Another landed.

I turned to Jack, "You can teleport us out."

Jack shook his head, "Not you guys. The nav-com's back online. Gonna take too long to override the protocols."

The Doctor spoke with his eyes never leaving Nancy, "So it's volcano day. Do what you've got to do."

I frowned, looking at Jack with betrayal. I knew him in the future that he wasn't like this. But it hurt knowing that he didn't know me and he was nothing like I knew. I now understand how River Song felt when the Doctor met her for the first time. Jack walked up to me, kissing me on the top of my head in a brotherly sort of way before moving away and making his decision. He teleported himself out.

The Doctor turned his attention to Nancy, "How old were you five years ago? Fifteen? Sixteen? Old enough to give birth, anyway." Nancy, still sobbing, glanced up at him and then away, shame written across her face. "He's not your brother, is he?" Nancy shook her head. "A teenage single mother in 1941. So you hid. You lied." Nancy nodded, tears streaming down her face. "You even lied to him."

The gates swung open and the original gas mask child, Jamie, stood at the forefront of the army of gas mask 'children', ready to charge. "Are you my mummy?" he asked.

I took Nancy's hand and told her softly, "He'll only keep asking. And after what he's been through, he deserves the truth." Nancy sobbed.

Gas mask Jamie made his way to us, "Are you my mummy?" I gave Nancy a small push in the direction of her son. "Are you my mummy? Are you my mummy?"

"Yes," Nancy whispered. She paused before her voice grew stronger, "Yes. I _am_ your mummy." She faced gas mask Jamie as he began to slowly walk forward.

"Mummy?" he asked.

"I'm here."

"Are you my mummy?"

Nancy knelt before him, "I'm here."

"Are you my mummy?"

"Yes," she whispered.

The Doctor stood by my side and said to me softly, "He doesn't understand. There's not enough of him left."

I shook my head, "He understands."

Nancy looked at her little boy, tears in her eyes. "I am your mummy. I will always be your mummy. I'm so sorry." She took him into her arms, no longer caring what would happen. The nanogenes surrounded them, making them glow with a golden light. "I am so, so sorry." Nancy began to stroke her son's hair with a small smile.

The Doctor stared intently at the two of them surrounded by the nanogenes. He was both apprehensive and excited, "Come on, please. Come on, you CLEVER little nanogenes - figure it out! The mother. She's the mother! There's gotta be enough information, figure it out!" I grabbed his arm but didn't say anything. Nancy fell away from gas mask Jamie to the ground, as the nanogenes disappeared. The Doctor and I rushed over. The Doctor stared down at the child, hardly daring to hope. " Oh, come on. Give me a day like this. Give me this one." He reached out to the gas mask and removed it, revealing a perfectly ordinary, very sweet little boy underneath. Nancy stared in delighted wonder and the Doctor laughed ecstatically. He lifted the boy into the air, swinging him around. "Ah-ha-ha! Welcome back! Twenty years 'til pop music - you're gonna love it." He hugged Jamie, laughed.

"What happened?" Nancy asked in wonder.

I smiled and said softly, "The Doctor got his one day, where nobody dies."

The Doctor began to explain in more detail, "The nanogenes recognised the superior information - the parent DNA. They didn't change YOU because YOU changed them! Haha!" He placed Jamie down in front of her. "Mother knows best!"

"Jamie!" Nancy said, almost crying with happiness.

A bomb landed nearby causing me to flinch, "Doctor…" I said worriedly.

"Taken care of!" he said.

I frowned, not really remembering how they dealt with the bomb. "How?"

The Doctor gestured to Nancy and Jamie saying, "Psychology!"

The bomb plummeted towards us, but is suddenly snatched out of the air by the same blue force field that had saved my life. A moment later, Jack appeared hovering in the tunnel of light. He called down to us, "Doctor!"

"Good lad!" the Doctor returned.

"The bomb's already commenced detonation. I've put it in stasis but it won't last long."

"Change of plan - don't need the bomb," the Doctor said. "Can you get rid of it? Safely as you can?"

"Faline?" Jack said.

"Yeah?" I asked.

"Goodbye," he said.

I laughed, "It's not goodbye Jack. I know its not." Jack disappeared and his ship zoomed off into the night sky. The Doctor walked a few paces away, staring intently at his hands. He summoned the nanogenes and they fluttered around his hands. I smiled, "Doctor."

Through I didn't say his name as a question he took it as one and explained, "Software patch. Gonna email the upgrade. You want moves, Faline? I'll give you moves." He threw the nanogenes away from him, towards the gas mask 'children' who were still standing around on the train track. The Doctor gave his widest grin as the gas mask 'children' fell to the floor, nanogenes surrounding them. "Everybody lives, Faline. Just this once. Everybody lives!" The gas mask 'children' began to rise to their feet, only they were no longer gas mask 'children'. They were restored to normal human beings. The Doctor bounded over to an actual doctor. "Doctor Constantine. Who never left his patients. Back on your feet, constant doctor! World doesn't wanna get by without you just yet, and I don't blame it one bit." He gestured to the former gas mask 'children' standing around. "These are your patients. All better, now!"

Dr. Constantine nodded, completely confused, "Yes, yes... so it seems. They also seem to be standing around in a disused railway station. Is there any particular reason for that?"

The Doctor was beaming as he said, "Yeah, well, you know - cutbacks. Listen, whatever was wrong with them in the past, you're probably gonna find that they're cured. Just tell them what a great doctor you are. Don't make a big thing of it. Okay?" He ran back to me as people began to approach Dr. Constantine and speak to him, but I didn't bother to listen.

The Doctor called to Dr. Constantine and his patients from on top of the Chula med-ship, "Right, you lot! Lots to do! Beat the Germans, save the world - don't forget the Welfare State!" Dr. Constantine smiled and he and his patients began to walk away. The Doctor bent down and began to speak to me. "Setting this to self-destruct, soon as everybody's clear. History says there was an explosion here. Who am I to argue with history?"

I laughed, "First in line." The Doctor looked at me and smiled causing me to smile in return.

-x-x-x-

The Doctor and I entered the TARDIS, the Doctor chatting away happily while I just smiled and listened, "The nanogenes will clean up the mess and switch themselves off - because I just told them to. Nancy and Jamie will go to Doctor Constantine for help - ditto - all in all, all things considered - fantastic!"

I laughed, "Your smiling like your Santa!"

"Who says I'm not?" he chuckled. The Doctor opened his arms in a wide embrace. "And everybody lives, Faline! Everybody lives!" He pinged a switch on the console. "I need more days like this."

I smiled and said, "That's why I didn't need to apologise, because I knew how happy you would be to have this kind of day." I shrugged, "I didn't want to ruin it for you." He smiled back at me but my own smile disappeared. "What about Jack?" The Doctor's smile faded and he carried on working like he didn't want to answer me. "Doctor, why did he say goodbye?" He didn't answer and I was quickly able to connect the dots. My eyes widened. "Doctor! Do something, help him." The Doctor pressed a button and 'Moonlight Serenade' began to play. A smile spread across my face and I ran to the doors while the TARDIS landed. The Doctor joined me as I opened the door. "Let's go Jack," I said. Jack leapt to his feet and dashed into the TARDIS.

The Doctor took my hand and we began to waltz around the TARDIS as 'Moonlight Serenade' played in the background. I tried to teach him how to dance, humming softly as we danced. Jack was spending his time looking around the TARDIS, amazed with her sheer size. "Hmm, right. And turn…" the Doctor spun me, getting my arm twisted behind my back. I laughed, "Alight, lets do that again. Just not to break my arm."

"I'm _sure_ I used to know this stuff," he said irritated. However, his irritation was false. I could tell by the way he rubbed my arm for half a second before turning to Jack and saying, "Close the door, will you. Your ship's about to blow up - there's gonna be a draft." I smiled and leaned against one of the pillars. The Doctor flicked a switch and the engines started up. "Welcome to the TARDIS."

"Much bigger on the inside..." Jack said.

"You'd better be," the Doctor said.

I felt a slight blush cover my cheeks before saying, "What the Doctor is _trying_ to say is … you may cut in."

We grinned and I took the Doctor's hand as if to dance with him. "Faline! I've just remembered!" he said with a smile.

I laughed at his excitement, "What's that?"

'In The Mood' blasted from the speakers, wherever the hell they were. Lights flashed around the room, and the Doctor moved towards me in time with the music, clicking his fingers. "I can dance!" he said.

"I thought that Jack might like a dance," I said.

The Doctor was unfazed as he answered, "I'm sure he would, Faline. I'm absolutely certain. But who with?" I giggled and jumped up the steps to take the Doctor's hands. Its almost as through he was only pretending he couldn't dance before. He spun me around perfectly. The Doctor suddenly threw me backwards over his arm. I gave a quick shriek in shock before laughing. I pulled myself up and giggled into the Doctor's arm. So this is how the Doctor Dances. I laughed to myself, much better then when he danced at Amy's wedding.

**END**


	11. 1x11

**1x11 "Boom Town"**

The Doctor had only just landed the TARDIS before there was a knock at her door. Jack, being the closest, answered. I merely listened in, "Who the hell are you?" He paused and said, "And_ who_ are you darling?"

I heard Mickey's voice say, "What d'you mean, who the hell am I? Who the hell are you? And don't hit on my girlfriend!"

"Captain Jack Harkness. Whatever your selling, we're not buying. But if your selling, we're definitely buying."

"Get out of my way!" Mickey said. He pushed his way past Jack and into the TARDIS, pulling Rose with him.

Jack shut the door and said, "Don't tell me, this must be Mickey. Promise me that this is Rose."

The Doctor was way up in the gantries, standing on a ladder. He held, what he pretended to be the TARDIS manual, as he worked. He had a red flashing light attached to his forehead, looking extremely dorky. "Here comes trouble! How're you doing, Rose? Ricky boy?"

"It's Mickey!" he growled.

Rose placed a calming hand on his arm, "Don't listen to him, he's winding you up." Mickey wrapped his arm around her waist.

"Aww, sweet, look at these two. How come I never get any of that?" Jack turned his attention to the Doctor.

"Buy me a drink first."

"You're such hard work."

"But worth it," the Doctor grinned in an extremely self-satisfied way.

I laughed and made my way to Rose and Mickey, hugging the two. "Hey you guys! How've you both been?"

Rose smiled, "We've been good. My mum says 'hi'." She pulled something from her pocket, "And this was sent to my house for you."

I took the folded letter and opened it. I smiled at seeing the folded picture of the secret entrance to the Torchwood hub. On the back it read, _I know we've met. Visit me some time. I need to find out why I am the way I am. And I know you know what I'm talking about. – CJH_. I glanced at Jack quickly before placing the picture in my pocket. "Tell her I say 'hi' back. And thanks for being my personal delivery service while my phone charges. Stupid thing died." I sent a glare to Jack knowing it was his fault that all my battery was gone, thank god there was nothing on there that could pertain to his future or the Doctor's other than some ringtones involving Doctor Who and Torchwood. Though I made sure to get rid of certain ones, like my 'Exterminate' alarm. I shivered; I don't think that I could ever listen to that sound again without getting chills.

"Sounds like your staying, then," Mickey said. There was an awkward silence between all of us. I felt the Doctor's eyes on my back. Mickey then smiled, attempting to lighten the atmosphere again. "So, what're you doing in Cardiff? And who the hell's Jumping Jack Flash? I mean, I don't mind you hanging out with big-ears up there-"

"Oi!" the Doctor protested.

"Look in the mirror," Mickey said. The Doctor shook his head and returned to his work. Mickey then nodded to Jack, "But this guy, I dunno, he's kinda…"

"Handsome?" Jack said.

"More like cheesy," Mickey said.

"Early 21st Century slang - Is cheesy good or bad?"

"It's bad," I told Jack.

"But bad means good, isn't that right?" he said.

I rolled my eyes with a groan as the Doctor made his way down the ladder. "Are you saying I'm not handsome?" Everyone but me ignored him.

I looked to the Doctor with a sweet smile before turning to Mickey and Rose, "We just stopped to refuel. Cardiff has a rift running through the middle of the city. This rift is basically a door between our world and others-"

The Doctor interrupted me, "The rift was healed back in 1869—"

I nodded, "Thanks to a girl named Gwyneth. She risked her life to save everyone then and in the future." I smiled. "She saved her great-something grand-niece's life. Anyways, she closed the rift on her end." Both Mickey and Rose seamed to be having a hard time following.

"But closing a rift always leaves a scar, and that scar generates energy, harmless to the Human Race-" Jack said.

The Doctor cut in, "But perfect for the TARDIS, so just park it here for a couple of days right on top of the scar and—"

"Open up the engines, soak up the radiation—" Jack continued.

I smiled at them, "It's like filling her up with gas."

Jack high fived me, "Into time!" we cried.

The Doctor and I then high fived, "And space!" the Doctor joined in.

I threw my arms up and shouted, "Woo-hoo!"

Mickey started at the three of us while Rose laughed. "My God, have you seen yourselves? You all think you're so clever, don't you?"

I ran forward and threw myself at Mickey. He almost dropped me but was able to keep me from falling. I laughed, hugging him around the neck and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Dear, dear Mickey. We are _brilliant_." As the Doctor and Jack laughed I whispered to him, "And your included in the 'we'." I moved from his arms and then hugged Rose telling her the same thing. I stood between the two, "Want a tour? While the Doctor and Jack have fun _dancing_?" I laughed as I led Mickey and Rose away, not bothering to tell them what I meant about 'dancing' or why the Doctor turned so red or why Jack had such a large smile on his face.

-x-x-x-

It was a half hour later when we came out of the TARDIS. I had taken Mickey and Rose on a basic tour of the TARDIS. I had shown them the library, even though the Doctor didn't like me in there reading books I shouldn't; the swimming pool, I haven't had the chance to try it but I plan to in the near-ish future; the kitchen, which was now free of whatever had tried to eat me and was fully stocked. We ended up spending quiet a bit of time in there; Mickey eating leftovers and Rose made tea for all of us, I brought some for the Doctor and Jack before going back to Rose and Mickey. I still can't make tea to save my life, it's mostly already done by the time I wake up the Doctor being kind enough to make me a cup. I showed them the dressing room, which Rose fell in love with; I showed them my room and then we returned to the control room.

"Should take another twenty-four hours, which means we've got time to kill," the Doctor said.

"That old lady's staring," Mickey said.

Jack smiled, "Probably wondering what five people could do inside a small wooden box..." He patted the Doctor's shoulder suggestively. I covered my mouth to keep from laughing. Rose snickered from beside me.

Mickey gave Jack a glare, "What are you captain of? The Innuendo Squad?" Jack made a 'whatever' sign and began to walk off. "Wait! Er, the TARDIS - we can't just leave it. Doesn't it get noticed?"

Jack turned back and said, "Yeah, what's with the police box? Why does it look like that?"

I shrugged, "It's a cloaking device. She'll be fine."

The Doctor then explained more in depth, "It's called a chameleon circuit. The TARDIS is meant to disguise itself wherever it lands, like if this was Ancient Rome, it'd be a statue on a plinth or something. But I landed in the 1960s, it disguised itself as a police box, and the circuit got stuck."

Rose frowned, "So it copied a real thing? There actually were police boxes?"

The Doctor nodded, "Yeah, on street corners. Phone for help before they had radios and mobiles. If they arrested someone, they could shove them inside until help came. Like a little prison cell."

Jack leaned towards the Doctor, "Why don't you just fix the circuit?"

"No!" I almost screamed. They all turned to me. "That would be like the Doctor changing his name and everything he stands for." I placed my hand on the TARDIS. "The TARDIS being a police box is something that should _never_ change. Besides, her being 'burrowed, new, old, and blue' is something that is very important in the future."

"But there's no police boxes anymore, so doesn't it get noticed?" Mickey said.

"Ricky, let me tell you something about the Human Race. You put a mysterious blue box slap bang in the middle of town and what do they do?" He put his hands on Mickey's shoulders. Mickey opened his mouth to reply, but didn't get a chance. "Walk past it. Now stop your nagging, let's go and explore!" I smiled thinking of how people walked right past the entrance to Torchwood every day and no one knew about it. Then I thought about how _I_ never just walked passed the TARDIS, but rather thrust myself into the Doctor's world. The Doctor walked off, taking my hand. Mickey, Rose, and Jack followed behind us.

"So," I said. "What's on the agenda today?"

"I don't know! Cardiff. Early 21st Century. And the wind's coming from the... East. Trust me - safest place in the universe." He told me.

I laughed and the Doctor gave me a frown, "Now that is a complete and utter lie Doctor. Noting around can ever stay 'safe' for long." I smiled and tightened my grip on his hand. "That's why you can go everywhere, because you follow trouble." I paused. "Or it follows you."

-x-x-x-

The five of us ended up at a restaurant on Cardiff Bay. We ordered food, all of them getting fish and 'chips' but me. I hate fish, so I ended up with chicken and _fries_. I ignored the jokes they decided to make about my distaste for fish. The attention finally turned from me to Jack when I implied that he had to tell us one of his stories. So that's what was going on, Jack telling us an exciting story. "I swear, six feet tall and with TUSKS—"

"You're lying through your teeth!" the Doctor said.

Rose smiled and said, "I'd have gone bonkers! That's the word - bonkers!"

Jack continued, "I mean, it turns out the white things are tusks and I mean TUSKS! And it's woken, and it's not happy-"

The Doctor smiled, "How could you not know it was there?"

"And we're standing there, fifteen of us, NAKED—" Jack said.

"Naked?" Rose interrupted.

I laughed, "You _would_ be naked!"

"And I'm like, oh, no, no, it's got nothing to do with me! And then it roars, and we are running. Oh my God, we are RUNNING! And Brakovitch falls, so I turn to him and I say—"

Mickey smiled and said, "I knew we should've turned left!"

We all laughed. "That's my line!" Jack protested.

Rose smiled, "I don't BELIEVE you, I don't believe a word you say EVER, that is so brilliant!" I laughed along with Rose, my eyes moving to the Doctor. He was looking at the newspaper the old man at the table beside ours was reading. The Doctor stood as Rose asked, "Did you ever get your clothes back?"

"No, I just picked him up went right for the ship, full throttle, didn't stop until I hit the spacelanes, I was shaking! It was unbelievable, I'm freaking out and by the time I got there I was fifteen light-years away I was like this!" While Jack continued the Doctor pulled the paper from the old man's hands and looked at the front page.

The Doctor locked eyes with me and I slowly stood. The others noticed my movement and then turned to the Doctor. "And I was having such a nice day," he said. He held up the paper, showing us the headline. 'New Mayor, New Cardiff'. Underneath was a picture of the Slitheen in her Margaret skin suit.

-x-x-x-

The Doctor brought us to the town hall. We stood in the entrance hall as though we owned the place. "According to intelligence," Jack said. "The target is the last surviving member of the Slitheen family, a criminal sect from the planet Raxacoricofallapatorious, masquerading as a human being, zipped inside a skin suit. Okay, plan of attack, we assume a basic fifty seven/fifty six strategy, covering all available exits on the ground floor. Doctor and Faline, you go face-to-face, that'll designate Exit One, I'll cover Exit Two, Rose, you're Exit Three, Mickey Smith, you take Exit Four. Have you got that?"

A smile grew on my face as I watched the Doctor's expression. He acted as though Jack just stole all his toys and said that _he_ wanted to be the captain. The Doctor gave a frown and asked, "Excuse me. Who's in charge?"

Jack gave me a quick glace and my smile brightened. Jack turned his full attention to the Doctor and said as seriously as he could, "Sorry. Awaiting orders, sir."

The Doctor's voice deepened with authority, "Right. Here's the plan." He paused and smiled, "Like he said. Nice plan. Anything else?"

"Present arms," Jack said. We all pulled out a cell phone, well except the Doctor but seeing as I was paired with him it was alight. "Speed dial?" Jack asked.

We each pressed a button with a beep; well mine didn't beep rather it played the theme to Torchwood. They turned to me with a frown as I quickly ignored my text sent from CJH. "All set," I said.

"Yup," came the Doctor.

"Ready," said Rose.

"Check," finished Mickey.

Jack gave us a lazy grin. "See ya in hell." He then walked off to the right.

I took the Doctor's hand and followed him. He always seamed to know where he was going. The Doctor led me to a secretary desk near a door that I was sure led to the Mayor's office. I glanced at the name tag sitting on the man's desk, Idris Hopper. The Doctor smiled to the secretary, "Hello! I've come to see the Lord Mayor." I frowned slightly when he said 'Lord Mayor', but then remembered that Americans have to be different from our English counterparts so it made sense that I've never heard the term before.

"Have you got an appointment?" Idris asked.

I smiled sweetly to the secretary, "No. We're just friends passing through and we thought that we might just see her. Face to face."

"Well, she's just having a cup of tea," Idris said.

"Just go in there, and tell her the Doctor would like to see her," the Doctor said.

Idris then asked something that caused my smile to brighten, "Doctor who?"

"Just the Doctor," he said. "Tell her exactly that. The Doctor."

Idris slowly stood, "Hold on a tick…" He entered the office and I snickered.

The Doctor turned to me, "What?"

I smiled, "Did I ever tell you the name of the show your in from my world?"

"No," he said.

I laughed. "Doctor Who."

The Doctor smiled at me but then we both turned quickly when we heard a teacup smash from inside the office. Idris came out of the office a moment later, looking flustered. He only opened the door far enough for her to squeeze herself through before shutting the door behind himself. "The Lord Mayor says thank you for- for popping by... she'd love to have a chat, but, um... she's up to her eyes in paperwork. Perhaps if you could make an appointment for next week...?"

"She's climbing out of the window, isn't she?" the Doctor asked.

Idris nodded, "Yes, she is."

The Doctor nodded and pushed past him into the office. I followed the Doctor as he ran across the room to the open window and onto the balcony. I came up beside the Doctor and handed him my phone and he immediately connected to the other three. "Slitheen heading North,"

"_On my way,_" Rose said.

"_Over and out,_" Jack added.

"_Oh my God,_" Mickey finished.

Idris suddenly rushed at the two of us. The Doctor moved in front of me as Idris started a fight. "Leave the Mayor alone!" Idris growled.

I took the chance to follow Margaret, or at least get off the balcony. I followed the path Margaret took and made my way after her, seeing her take off her brooch. "Margaret!" I called.

The female Slitheen only went faster. She turned one way, only for Rose to block her. Margaret turned, pulling off an earring. Jack ran towards her. She ran back the way she came only to see me and the Doctor not far behind, "Margaret!" the Doctor called mockingly.

Margaret bolted down the fourth exit. She ran as fast as her legs could carry her while pulling off her second earring. Jack, Rose, the Doctor, and I converged at one end. The end opposite of her. "Who was on Exit Four?" Jack growled.

"That was Mickey!" Rose said. I could hear the hint of worry in her voice.

Mickey finally caught up with us, panting, "Here I am!"

The Doctor gave the younger male a glare, "Mickey the idiot."

Rose stared at Margaret as she ran, "Oh, be fair - she's not exactly gonna outrun us, is she?"

I sighed heavily and said, "She doesn't have to." Margret then disappeared in a blue light with a small, echoing 'ting'.

"She's got a teleport! That's cheating! Now we're NEVER gonna get her!" Jack yelled.

I smiled at Jack patting his cheek, "Never say never when your with the Doctor."

The Doctor pulled his sonic screwdriver out from his jacket pocket. He held it in the air with a dopey grin and clicked it once. Margaret reappeared, only she was much closer and running straight at us. The smile she wore faded as she realized where she was. She turned around and ran, activating her teleport again. Almost a second after she vanished the Doctor pressed the button and she reappeared, again running towards us. This continued several more times before she ended up right in front of us, absolutely exhausted and gasping for breath. Margaret had finally given up.

The Doctor smiled and said, "I could do this all day."

Margaret put her hands up, "This is persecution. Why can't you leave me alone? What did I ever do to you?"

"You tried to kill me and destroy this entire planet," the Doctor reminded her.

"Apart from that," Margaret dismissed.

-x-x-x-

Margaret was the one to suggest we go back inside, causing less of a disturbance. I immediately agreed with her, just in case she decided to unveil herself in front of bystanders. So that's how we ended up in the exhibition rom. Margaret's nuclear power plant model in the middle of the room, it's name plastered on a banner hanging from the ceiling. The Doctor turned to the masked Slitheen, "So, you're a Slitheen, you're on Earth, you're trapped. Your family get killed but you teleport out, just in the nick of time. You have no means of escape. What do you do? You build a nuclear power station." He gestured to the model, while Rose and Jack examined it with great interest. "But what for?"

"A philanthropic gesture. I've learnt the error of my ways," she said. I would have snorted had I not remembered two key moments that had and will happen. Margaret sparing the young woman in the bathroom after finding out she was getting married and was pregnant; something Margaret clearly wanted to happen to her. And then later on the 'moment' she will share with the Doctor.

The Doctor, however, rolled his eyes, "And it just so happens to be right on top of the rift."

"What rift would that be?" Margaret asked faking ignorance.

Jack chimed in, "A rift in space and time. If this power station went into meltdown, the entire planet would go schwwwupboom!" He made a little gesture to go with his explosion noise.

Looking down at the model the Doctor said, "This station is designed to explode the minute it reaches capacity."

Rose frowned, "Didn't anyone notice? Isn't there someone in London CHECKING this sort of stuff?"

Margaret rolled her eyes, "We're in CARDIFF. London doesn't care! The South Wales coast could fall into the sea and they wouldn't notice- oh... I sound like a Welshman. God help me, I've gone native." I smirked.

"But why would she DO that?" Mickey asked. "A great big explosion - she'd only end up killing herself."

"She's got a name, you know," Margaret growled.

Mickey glared at her, "She's not even a she, she's a... thing."

I punched him in the shoulder. "Not cool Mickey," I told him softly.

The Doctor eyed Margaret, "Oh, but she's clever..." in a swift movement he pried the middle section of the model off and flipped it over. Underneath was a giant circuit board. "Fantastic."

I smiled at the excitement in Jack's voice as he asked, "Is that a tribophysical waveform macro-kinetic extrapolator?"

"Couldn't have put it better myself," the Doctor said.

Jack took the extrapolator from the Doctor for a better look, "Ooh, GENIUS!" I noticed as the Doctor's attention was drawn to the poster with the name of the project. 'Blaidd Drwg'. Jack continued to Margaret, "You didn't build this."

Margaret gave a shrug, "I have my hobbies. A little tinkering…"

"No, no, no, I mean, you REALLY didn't build this. Way beyond you," Jack said.

"I bet she stole it," Mickey said.

"It fell into my hands," Margaret said.

"Is it a weapon?" Rose asked.

Jack placed the extrapolator down on the floor, "It's transport. You see - the reactor blows, the rift opens, phenomenal cosmic disaster, but THIS thing shrouds you in a forcefield, you have this energy bubble, zzhum, so you're safe. Then you feed it coordinates, stand on top, and ride the concussion all the way out of the solar system."

Mickey smiled, "It's a surfboard!"

Jack nodded, "A pan-dimensional surfboard, yeah."

"And it would've worked," Margaret said bitterly. "I would've surfed away from this dead-end dump and back to civilisation."

I smirked and asked, "If it weren't for us 'meddling kids' right?"

"Yes," Margaret said. I smiled. Yes! She agreed with me. That means we're like the time/dimension traveling version of Scooby Doo!

"You'd blow up a whole planet just to get a lift?" Mickey asked.

Margaret smirked, "Like stepping on an anthill."

The Doctor finally spoke after staring up at the poster for so long, "How'd you think of the name?"

"What, Blaidd Drwg?" Margaret shrugged. "It's Welsh."

The Doctor nodded, "I know, but how did you think of it?"

"Chose it at random, that's all I dunno. Just sounded good. Does it matter?" Margaret asked.

The Doctor turned around, frowning, "Blaidd Drwg."

"What does it mean?" Rose asked.

"Bad Wolf," the Doctor said looking at me. I flinched at the name as the Doctor continued, "Everywhere we go. Two words. Following us. Bad Wolf." Tears began to well in my eyes as I remembered what had happened. Now that Rose didn't travel with the two of us I just had to wonder … what if the Doctor actually dies at the end? What if I die? What if I mess up and Jack doesn't come back to life? What would happen to the TARDIS? "Faline," the Doctor said drawing my attention to him. "Do you know what 'Bad Wolf' is?" I nodded. "Can you tell me?" he asked. I shook my head. "Why not?"

My voice shook, "Be-because it's a fixed point. I-I can't let 'Bad Wolf' _not _happen." I looked into the Doctor's eyes. "I'm terrified of what would happen if 'Bad Wolf' never came into existence. But I will tell you … I'm sorry." The Doctor stared at me for a long moment as tears began to leak down my cheeks. "I'm sorry Nine. I'm so, _so_ sorry." Jack wrapped his arms around me while I just stared at the Doctor trying to convey my sorrow with my eyes. I am so sorry that you have to die Doctor. But this is just the way it has to go, even if it kills me. You have to die. You _have_ to regenerate.

The Doctor was quiet for a long moment before saying, "Never mind! Things to do." I smiled at the Doctor and whipped away my tears after returning Jack's hug. The Doctor clapped his hands briskly, "Margaret, we're gonna take you home."

Jack frowned as I moved from his arms, "Hold on, isn't that the easy option, like letting her go?"

I smiled and said, "Finally!" Everyone looked to me and I smiled showing them that I was alright. "I _finally_ get to see Raxacoricofallapatorius." They smiled at me.

"They have the death penalty," Margaret said. All smiles vanished. "The family Slitheen was tried in its absence many years ago and found guilty. With no chance of appeal. According to the statutes of government, the moment I return, I am to be executed. What do you make of that, Doctor?" She held the Doctor's cold stare. "Take me home and you take me to my death."

The Doctor looked at her and said indifferently, "Not my problem."

-x-x-x-

By the time we made it back to the TARDIS, Margaret in tow. The Slitheen looked around the inside of the TARDIS in wonder. "This ship is IMPOSSIBLE! It's SUPERB. How do you get the outside around the inside?"

The Doctor gave her a look and said, "Like I'd give YOU the secret, yeah."

"I almost feel better about being defeated," Margaret said. "We never stood a chance. This is the technology of the Gods."

"Don't worship me - I'd make a very bad God. You wouldn't get a day off, for starters..." the Doctor turned to Jack. "Jack, how we doing, big fella?"

Jack was on the floor next to console, wiring the extrapolator up to the TARDIS. "This extrapolator's top of the range." He peered around his work at Margaret, "Where did you get it?"

Margaret shrugged, "Oh, I don't know... some airlock sale...?"

"Must've been a great big heist. It's stacked with power," Jack commented.

The Doctor came towards him, "But we can use it for fuel?"

Jack shook his head, "It's not compatible... but it should knock off about twelve hours. We'll be ready to go by morning."

"Then we're stuck here," the Doctor said. "Overnight."

"I'M in no hurry..." Margaret commented.

Rose sounded almost happy when she said, "We've got a prisoner! The police box is really... a police box."

Margaret smiled unpleasantly, "You're not just police, though. Since you're taking me to my death, that makes you my executioners. Each and every one of you..."

Mickey turned to the Slitheen and said icily, "Well, you deserve it."

"You're very quick to say so. You're very quick to soak your hands in my blood. Which makes you better than me, how, exactly...?" Mickey had nothing to say about that. "Long night ahead…" the Doctor's eyes met her as she took her time walking around the console before sitting elegantly on the pilot seat. "Let's see who can look me in the eye." Margaret turned and looked to Mickey. He managed to hold her gaze for a few moments before averting his eyes. She looked to Rose next, who glanced guiltily at the Doctor. He glanced up only for a second still working away. Margaret turned to me and I looked her straight in the eyes, because I knew she wasn't going to her death. Even if she were to be presented to those on her home planet the Doctor would still try his best to keep her from getting the death penalty. What would be the point in keeping her alive, other than the Doctor's morals, only to drop her off on her planet to be killed?

-x-x-x-

Rose texted me, saying that she and Mickey were going out for a while and not to leave without saying goodbye. The Doctor watched the TARDIS screens, seeing as the two walked away hand in hand. "So, what's on?" Jack asked.

The Doctor jerked around and he turned off the screen, "Nothing," he said.

Margaret sat against the metal grilling, her back to the console. "I gather it's not always like this... having to wait." She paused. "I bet you're always the first to leave, Doctor. Never mind the consequences, off you go. You butchered my family and then ran for the stars, am I right? But not this time. At last, you have consequences... how does it feel?"

"I didn't butcher them," the Doctor said.

"Don't answer back," Jack told him. "That's what she wants."

The Doctor turned to Jack and spoke, trying to force the Captain to understand, "I didn't!" The Doctor turned to Margaret, "What about you? You had an emergency teleport, you didn't zap them to safety, did you?"

"It only carries one," Margaret said defending herself. "I had to fly without coordinates. I ended up on a skip in the Isle of Dogs." The Doctor and Jack snickered, while I had no idea what they were talking about. "It wasn't funny!"

"Sorry," the Doctor said sheepishly. Margaret turned around to see them still grinning. "It is a _bit_ funny!" The Doctor and Jack started to laugh again with Margaret joining in.

As their laughter relaxed Margaret asked, "Do I get a last request?"

"Depends what it is," the Doctor said.

"I grew quite fond of my little human life," Margaret told us. "All those rituals... the brushing of the teeth, and the complicated way they cook things... there's a little restaurant. Just round the bay." The Doctor glanced at her. "It became quite a favorite of mine."

The Doctor walked over to her and leaned over the railing to talk to her properly. "Is that what you want? A last meal?"

Margaret gave him a look and asked, "Don't I have rights?"

Jack then chimed in, "Oh, like she's not gonna try to escape."

"Except I can never escape the Doctor, so where's the danger?" She then began to slightly egg the Doctor on. "But I wonder if you could do it? To sit with a creature you're about to kill and take supper. How strong is your stomach?"

"Strong enough," the Doctor said.

"I wonder. I've seen you fight your enemies... now dine with them."

"You won't change my mind."

Margaret smirked, "Prove it."

The Doctor was silent for a long moment and I decided to speak, "I think you should do it." All three of them turned to me. "I believe that she should get to have her _last meal_ out with the Doctor. Its not like she's going alone."

"There are people out there," the Doctor said. "If she slips away just for one second, they'll be in danger."

"Except... I've got these." Jack held up a pair of metal hoops, like bangle bracelets. "You both wear one. If she moves... more than ten feet away..." He made a loud buzzing noise, mimicking an electric shock. Margaret and I both jumped in alarm. "She gets zapped by ten thousand volts."

"Margaret, would you like to come out to dinner?" the Doctor asked. "My treat?"

Margaret gave him a sickly smile, "Dinner in bondage... works for me."

Jack placed the bangles on each of them before thy left. I stood from my seat and asked, "Why the hell do you have those?" Jack just smiled and lay on his back halfway under the console, wiring the extrapolator up to the TARDIS.

I jumped when my phone began to ring, playing the Torchwood theme. I pulled it from my pocket and answered, as I walked away from Jack. "Now isn't a good time," I said into the phone. I walked to my room, wanting to keep Jack from hearing this conversation at all coasts.

"_You have to help me understand what happened Faline_," I heard CJH say.

I sighed, "Have you seen the papers today?"

"_That's why I didn't come down when I saw the TARDIS_," he replied.

"I-I don't know what to tell you. It hasn't happened yet, and personally I want it to." Tears began to slip down my cheeks as I opened the door to my room, making my way to my bed to sit down. "I don't want to loose you. You understand that right?"

There was a sigh, "_Yes. I understand. But you will tell me right?_"

I nodded my head even though I knew he couldn't see, "Yes. It just has to be at the opportune moment. You don't see us again until after two Christmas' from now. You'll understand how you can contact us, but just in case I'll send you a text telling you to get your ass over to the TARDIS. Until I tell you to your just going to have to stay put in Torchwood."

"_Alright_," he said.

"Trust me," I told him. "I want you to understand what happened then more then anything. But I can't tell you if _I_ don't know what happened. I don't know if I even make it; don't tell me if I do. But I can't get your hopes up. Either way, you _will_ get the information from the Doctor or I."

"_Okay Kitten_," he said. "_But until then, next time you make food for Rose you better bring some. Owen wont stop bugging me about who you are. Same with Tosh and Suzie._"

I shivered at the mention of Suzie but said nothing pertaining to her future. "Of course. Maybe I might just stop by for an actual visit once this is through. You can't ask me about what happened, but we can expand everything we have and I can meet your little Scooby Gang_._"

There was a chuckle, "_Great. I'm sure you could help us too. With your wonderful insight."_

I laughed, "How about just dinner with you all so we can swap past stories?"

"_Alright,_" there was a pause. "_I have to go, bye Kitten._"

"Goodbye Captain." I hung up the phone with a small smile. However my smile didn't last long as the TARDIS shook. "What the hell?" I asked. I stood and ran into the console room, only to see said console sparking. Jack pulled the extrapolator from the console, ripping out the wires connecting it. I ran forward and helped him, tugging on the wires hurting the TARDIS. "What happened?" I asked him.

Before he could answer the doors opened and the Doctor came in with Margaret following behind him. "What the hell are you doing?" the Doctor yelled at Jack.

"It just went crazy," Jack said.

The Doctor ran to the console, checking it over. "It's the rift! Time and space are ripping apart. The whole city's gonna disappear!" A small explosion erupted from the console, fairly close to where I was standing. I yelped and jumped back, almost tripping over that stupid extrapolator.

Jack and the Doctor worked furiously to stop the explosions come from the TARDIS console. "It's the extrapolator!" Jack said. "Faline and I disconnected it but it's still feeding off the engine! It's USING the TARDIS - I can't stop it!"

"Never mind Cardiff - it's gonna rip open the planet!" the Doctor said.

Rose burst through the TARDIS doors. "What is it? What's happening?" she asked.

"Oh, just little ME!" Margaret said. I turned to look at her, but her Slitheen claw suddenly wrapped around my neck. I gasped and grabbed at it only for her to tighten her grip slightly. The Doctor darted forward only to stop when Margaret tightened her hold on my neck. "One wrong move and she snaps like a promise."

"I might've known," the Doctor said.

Margaret began to move closer to the Doctor, pulling me with her. "I've had you bleating all night, poor baby, now shut it." She turned to Jack. "You – fly boy – put the extrapolator at my feet." Jack hesitated only for a moment. Margaret used that moment to tighten her grip on my throat cutting off my air. Jack looked to the Doctor for help – he nodded, so Jack did as he was told. Margaret smiled, "Thank you. Just as I planned."

"I- I thought you ne-needed to blo-ow up a nu-nuclear power station," I choked out.

"Failing that - if I were to be... arrested... then anyone capable of tracking me down would have considerable technology of their own. Therefore, they would be captivated by the extrapolator. Especially a magpie mind like yours, Doctor. So the extrapolator was programmed to go to Plan B!" She tugged at my throat and I whimpered and coughed. "To lock onto the nearest alien power source and open the rift." She looked around the TARDIS with awe. "And what a power source it found... I'm back on schedule... thanks to you."

"The rift's gonna convulse – she'll destroy the whole planet," Jack said.

Margaret smiled, "And you with it." She pushed me to the side so she could stand on the extrapolator – but her clawed hand was still wrapped firmly around my neck. "While I ride this board over the crest of the inferno all the way to freedom. Stand back boys... surf's up."

A panel of the console directly in front of Margaret suddenly burst open, a blinding light flooded out. Margaret looked directly at the light while my eyes locked on with the Doctor's. The Doctor turned his gaze from me to Margaret. "Of course, opening the rift means you'll pull this ship apart."

"So sue me," Margaret said.

The Doctor continued to explain, "It's not just any old power source. It's the TARDIS. My TARDIS. The best ship in the universe."

"It'll make wonderful scrap," Margaret growled.

I heard Rose ask from behind me, "What's that light?"

"The heart of the TARDIS. This ship's alive. You've opened its soul."

Breathing heavily, Margaret stared into the light, as if forgetting everything else. Her voice became dreamy, "It's … so bright…"

"Look at it Margaret…" the Doctor told her.

"… Beautiful …" she whispered.

"Look inside, Blon Fel Fotch," the Doctor said. I could only assume that was her name. "Look at the light."

Margaret was so transfixed with her grip on me relaxed. I pulled myself from her grasp and almost ran into the closest person's arms, that person being Jack. I held onto Jack as I watched Margaret stare into the light, the TARDIS heart and soul, a smile spread across her face. She then looked at the Doctor who smiled in return. "Thank you ..." She was then engulfed by the light. When it cleared her body-suit fell on top of the extrapolator.

The Doctor sprung into action, darting around the console. "Don't look - stay there - close your eyes!" He slammed down levers and the gap in the console closed, shutting out the white light. "Now, Jack, come on – shut it all down. Shut down!" Jack released me and rushed over to the console. "Rose, Faline, that panel over there – turn all the switches to the right." Rose and I rushed forward, doing as told.

After a few minutes of rushing around the inside of the TARDIS returned to normal, letting us assume that whatever happened on the outside returned to normal too. The Doctor turned to us with a smile, "Nicely done. Thank you, all."

"What happened to Margaret?" Rose asked.

"Must've got burnt up," Jack said. "Carried out her own death sentence."

I moved beside the Doctor as he looked down at the body-suit, "No. I don't think she's dead."

"Then where'd she go?" Rose asked.

"She looked into the heart of the TARDIS," the Doctor said. "And even I don't know how strong that is. And the ship's telepathic. Gets inside your head. Translates alien languages. Maybe the raw energy can translate all sorts of thoughts..." He knelt down next to the skin-suit for a closer look. Rose, Jack, and I followed in suit. All three of us were huddled around the body-suit, watching as the Doctor reaching inside and pulled out a fairly large egg. "Here she is!" he said.

"She's an egg?" Rose asked.

"Regressed to her childhood," the Doctor said.

"She's an egg?" Jack echoed Rose.

"She can start again! Live her life from scratch. If we take her home, give her to a different family, tell 'em to bring her up properly, she might be all right!" The Doctor smiled at me, and I gave him a smile in return.

"Or she might be worse," Jack said.

I rolled my eyes, "That's her choice." My voice cracked and quivered as I spoke. The Doctor looked at me worried. "I'm fine," I said placing my hand on his shoulder.

"She's an egg," Rose said.

"She's an egg," the Doctor confirmed, seeing that the blonde wasn't going to get over that very quickly.

"Oh, my god." Rose said bolting up. "Mickey!" I smiled and hugged the blonde, knowing that she was leaving us. "I'll see you again soon right?" she asked pulling out of the hug.

I bit my lip, tugging on the lip ring. I pulled her into another hug and whispered, "Be ready for Christmas to be less than normal." Rose nodded and pulled out of the hug. She turned and ran from the TARDIS.

"Faline," the Doctor said. I turned and smiled at him, "Come with me." I frowned and followed the Doctor. He led me to the infirmary.

I sighed, "Doctor, I'm fine." My voice cracked proving otherwise.

"No your not," he pointed to the bed. "Sit." I rolled my eyes and did as told. The Doctor then pulled out the sonic screwdriver and tilted up my chin. I waited a moment before he flipped it open and looked at it. The Doctor didn't say anything, only went to a counter and grabbed a vile, placing it in my hands. "Drink," he told me.

I rolled my eyes and drank the liquid. It didn't taste _horrible_ but I cant say that it tasted good either. However, the warming feeling that soothed the back of my throat was highly welcomed. I finished what he gave me and handed it back to him. I rubbed my throat and said, "That wasn't that bad."

"I wasn't going to give you anything that was horrible," the Doctor told me.

"Ya, I know that. But still, taking medicine was always something that didn't turn out well for me," I told him. I got up from the bed and smiled. "But I guess I've never had super awesome alien or future whatever medicine."

The Doctor chuckled and led me back to the control room. "We're all powered up," he told me. "We can leave. Opening the rift filled us up with energy - we can go." He pulled a lever.

Jack smiled, "Next stop, Raxacoricofallapatorius. Now, you don't often get to say that." I smiled at the egg that rested, balanced between two parts of the console.

"We'll just stop by and pop her in the hatchery," the Doctor explained. "Margaret the Slitheen can live her life again! A second chance."

"Good," I said. "Everyone deserves a second chance." I then flipped a lever without the Doctor needing to tell me to. The engines began to rise and fall as the TARDIS faded away.

**END**


	12. 1x12

**1x12 "Bad Wolf"**

I slowly lifted myself from the floor, looking around the room. Okay, last thing I remember was the Doctor, Jack and I just coming back from spending time in Kyoto, Japan in 1336 or something like that. We were laughing on the TARDIS and then there was this white light that took up the whole control room. I remember reaching out for the Doctor and then … darkness. I can only assume that this is where I blacked out and was taken here. Where ever the hell I am.

An older man came over to me. "It's all right... it's the transmat. Does your head in." I just looked at him. "Get a bit of amnesia. What's your name?"

"Faline," I said immediately. "Where's the Doctor?"

"Just remember," he told me. "Do what the Android says. Don't provoke it. The Android's word is law."

I frowned, "What the hell are you talking about?"

Another person, a woman this time, came towards me calling, "Positions, everyone! Thank you!"

"Come on. Hurry up!" The man helped me up. "Steady, steady…"

I looked around. "What the _fuck_ is going on?" I growled, my anger getting the better of me. "Where the hell is my Doctor?"

"That's enough chat!" the woman from before called. "Positions! Final call!" The woman was standing next to an inactive robot, what was being attended to by technicians. The robot was on a platform, around which were six podiums, other people were standing around. "Good luck!" said the woman.

The man smiled in anticipation and looked at me. I frowned at him and said, "I'm not supposed to be here."

"Well," he said. "It says 'Faline' on the podium." I looked to see that, sure enough, on one of the podiums my name was up in lights. "Come on!" He ran off and stood behind his podium. I sucked on my lip ring and slowly made my way to my own podium. I watched as the technicians and the woman worked on the robot.

"Android activated!" the woman said.

The Android, robot, whatever, sprung up, raising 'her' face. "_**Welcome, to 'The Weakest Link'!**_" The theme music began to play.

My eyes widened. "Oh FUCK!" I said. It was at that moment that I realized where I was. I was back on Satellite Five, and this was the beginning of my Ninth Doctor's end.

-x-x-x-

We had gone to commercial, not that I really noticed. After I cussed my mind went _blank_. I was terrified. What the hell is going to happen? I'm playing the weakest link where if your booted off you DIE! There are the most evil, and heartless beings are floating in space not too far away.

"17... 16... 15... thank you people," the woman, who I now know is the Floor Manager, spoke. "Transmitting in 12... 11... 10..."

I turned to the man, Rodrick, "I'm _not_ supposed to be he-"

Rodrick cut me odd, "Just- shut up and play the game!"

I glared at him, "What the FUCK?" For a moment I wanted him to loose the game, just for a moment. Then I felt horrible for that moment. He may be an ass, but that doesn't mean that he, or anyone else here, deserves to die like that.

"3, and cue!" the Floor Manager called.

I turned my attention to the 'Anne' Droid as she spoke. "_**Let's play 'The Weakest Link'!**_" The classic music and light cues activated. "_**Start the clock.**_" Music played. "_**Agorax - the name of which basic food stuff is an anagram of the word 'beard'?**_"

"Bread," said the one all the way to my right.

"_**Correct. Fitch - in the Pan Traffic Calendar, which month comes after Hoob?**_"

"Is it … Clavadoe?" Fitch asked.

"_**No, Pandoff. Faline, in maths, what is 258 minus 158?**_"

"One hundred," I said quickly.

"_**Correct. Rodrick –**_"

Rodrick interrupted her saying, "Bank."

"_**Which letter of the alphabet appears in the word 'dangle' but not in the word 'gland'?**_"

Rodrick was quiet for a moment before saying, "E."

"_**Correct! Colleen - in social security, what D is the name of the payment given to Martian Drones?**_"

Colleen answered with, "Default."

"_**Correct. Broff - the Great Cobalt Pyramid is built on the remains of which famous Old Earth Institute?**_"

"T—Touchdown," Broff said.

"_**No - Torchwood.**_" I bit my lip ring. I felt sorry for Broff, I wasn't from this time and I knew that. But then I suppose I had an advantage over all of them having seen this all before; not that I remember. It was only that question and it's answer that stayed in my mind.

'Anne' Droid then began the cycle again turning to, Agorax. "_**Agorax - in language, all**____**five examples of which type of letter appear in the word 'facetious'?**_"

"Vowels," Agorax said immediately.

"_**Correct. Fitch - in biology, which blood cells contain iron - red or white?**_"

"Um … white."

"_**No, red. Faline - in the holovid series 'Jupiter Rising', the Grexnik is married to whom?**_"

"Jack Napier?" I asked, saying the first thing that popped into my head. Why the true identity of the Joker suddenly jumped into my head I will never know.

"_**No, the correct answer is Lord Drayvole." **_I bit my lip and adjusted my gray off the shoulder top as the 'Anne' Droid moved on to – _**"**__**Rodrick - in maths, what is nine squared?**_"

-x-x-x-

I've never played or see 'The Weakest Link' before, other than on Doctor Who. So I'm not entirely sure on how to play. However, from what I gather you have to answer as many questions as you can correctly. The more incorrect answers the more likely you are to be voted off. That's the stage we were at, voting off.

'Anne' Droid turned to me, "_**So Faline. What do you actually do?**_"

I sucked on my lip ring before saying, "Travel."

"_**Another way of saying 'unemployed'.**_"

I glared at the 'Anne' Droid and snapped. "No, it's another way of saying lets finish the fucking game before I hurt someone. Namely you, you stupid fucking hunk of space metal."

'Anne' Droid was silent for a moment and all the other contestants turned to me with wide eyes. I guess no one has ever told off that stupid robot before. "_**Why Fitch?**_"

I glared at the robot, okay now I'm royally pissed. "It doesn't matter why I picked her because in the end we're all going to die because of this fucked up game. We might as well get it over with." I turned to Fitch. "I'm truly sorry." Fitch nodded to me. I suppose she understood that I didn't like this any more than she did and I was trying to make this as painless as possible for all of us.

Fitch turned her attention to the 'Anne' Droid and began to speak, her fear causing her to want to fight for her life. "Let me try again, it was the lights and everything - I couldn't think."

"_**W**__**ith three answers wrong, Broff**____**was the weakest link in that round, but - it's votes that count.**_"

Fitch began to beg. "I'm sorry. Oh, please... oh God, help me!" She looked around wildly at the other contestants, pleading for help we couldn't give. Silent tears slipped down my cheeks, while Rodrick looked away and Broff sobbed silently into the board he held up.

"_**Fitch - you are the weakest link. Goodbye!**_" 'Anne' Droid's mouth opened and a gun protruded. I closed my eyes and turned my head. I couldn't bare to watch as Fitch was disintegrated. I looked back once the humming that had come from the disintegration beam, ray, whatever, stopped. All that was left of Fitch was smoke that billowed from where she once stood.

The Floor Manager then spoke, "And we've gone to the adverts. Back in three minutes…"

I shook my head. "This is fucked up."

Rodrick then spoke, as though I had been speaking to just him rather than in general. "She was the weakest link - she gets disintegrated. Blasted into atoms."

"We voted for her," I growled throwing my board down. "We voted for her to go to her death!" I looked around too see technicians, contestants, and the Floor Manager watching me. "Aren't any of you fucking bothered by this?" Tears flowed down my cheeks. "I'm not doing this-"

"I'm not playing!" Broff suddenly shouted. He whimpered through tears, "I… I can't do it." 'Anne' Droid turned to him slowly. Broff leapt from his podium and ran towards the door. "I'm not- please, somebody let me—"

"_**You are**____**the weakest link.**_" 'Anne' Droid fired her disintegration gun and Broff disappeared mid-run. "_**Goodbye.**_" The gun retreated back into her mouth.

I sobbed as the 'Anne' Droid turned back to the remaining contestants. Rodrick then said to me, "Don't try to escape. It's play… or die."

-x-x-x-

We continued to play the game. Contestant after contestant was disintegrated. At the moment there were only four of us left. And right now, there was about to be three. "_**You are the weakest link. Goodbye!**_" I couldn't look as Colleen was disintegrated.

The Floor Manager then called out, "Going to break! Two minutes on the clock." I wiped away a few stray tears that had escaped. "Just a reminder – we've got solar flare activity up in ten."

I turned to Rodrick as he wiped his board clean of Colleen's name. "Colleen was smart, she banked all our money or whatever. Why the hell did you vote for her."

Rodrick then turned to me with, almost what I would say to be, a gleeful smile. "'Cos I want to keep you in! You're stupid! You don't even know the Princess Vossaheen's surname. When it comes to the final, I want to be up against you. So that you get disintegrated, and I get a stack-load of credits. Courtesy of the Bad Wolf Corporation..."

"Wait," I frowned. "Bad Wolf?"

Rodrick looked at me like I was the biggest idiot in the world for not knowing this, "They're in charge. They run the Game Station."

"Why call it Bad Wolf?" I asked.

"I dunno, it's just a name. It's like an Old Earth... nursery rhyme sort of thing- what does it matter?"

I sighed, "Because everywhere I go, I hear those two words. Bad Wolf." I thought back to all the times I've heard 'Bad Wolf' since I've met the Doctor. It was mentioned at Earth's End, Gwyneth mentioned it, the Face of Boe having his 'baby' on the 'Bad Wolf' channel when this used to be a news station, 'Bad Wolf' graffiti'd on the side of the TARDIS. And more recently 'Blaidd Drwg'. "All across the universe. Those two words follow."

"What're you going on about?" Rodrick asked impatiently.

I sucked on my lip ring. Bad Wolf was brought on by Rose looking into the heart of the TARDIS, all that Time Energy. But Rose wasn't here, she wasn't going to save the Doctor and keep Jack from dying. I was… "I'm Bad Wolf," I whispered.

-x-x-x-

Agorax screamed as the disintegrator beam shot him until there was nothing left but billowing smoke. Not that I watched. I couldn't bare to watch. "_**That leaves Faline and Rodrick - you're going head-to-head... let's play 'The Weakest Link'.**_"

Rodrick then said to me, "Right, that's the end of tactical voting... you're on your own now."

"You're a sick, sadistic bastard," I told him.

This time, rather than go into a break like we normally did after eliminating a player the 'Anne' Droid went into the final round. "_**Faline, in geography, the Grand Central Ravine is named after which Ancient Britain City?**_"

I sucked my lip ring, "York?" I asked.

"_**No, the correct answer is Sheffield. Rodrick, in literature, the author of 'Lucky**__**' **__**was Jackie who?**_"

"Stewart," Rodrick said taking a wild guess.

"_**No, the correct answer is Collins. Faline, the oldest inhabitant of the Isop Galaxy is the Face of what?**_"

A small smile graced my lips as I thought fondly of my answer, "The Face of Bo."

There were a few seconds of silence where the 'Anne' Droid and Rodrick both openly stared at me. Not that a robot can openly stare, but still. "_**That is the correct answer.**_ _**Rodrick, in history, who was the President of the Red Velvets?**_"

"Hoshbin Frane," he said.

"_**That is the correct answer.**_" The 'Anne' Droid turned it's head sharply to me. "_**Faline, in food, the dish Gaffabeque originated on which planet?**_"

"Umm… is it…" I bit my lip hard before taking a wild guess. "… Neptune?"

"_**Nope, the correct answer is Lucifer. Rodrick, which measurement of length is said to have been defined by the Emperor Jate as the distance from his nose to his fingertip?**_"

I could tell from his pause that he had no idea, "Would that be a goffle?"

"_**No. The correct answer is a paab. Faline, in fashion, Stella Pok Baint is famous for what?**_"

"Handbags?" I asked. I knew the answer was wrong the moment the word made itself halfway passed my lips.

"_**No. The correct answer is hats. **_ _**Rodrick, in physics, who discovered the Fifteen-Dash-Ten Barric Fields?**_"

"San... Hazeldine," Rodrick said.

"_**No, the correct answer is San Chen. Faline, in history, which Icelandic city hosted Murder Spree Twenty?**_"

"Reykjavik...?" I asked.

There was a long pause before the 'Anne' Droid said, "_**No, the correct answer is Pola Ventura.**_" My heart sank. I lost.

The music played and an ecstatic smile spread across Rodrick's face. "Oh, my god! I've done it!" He turned to me and said without pity, "You've lost!"

I glared at him. "And you've won a game where they kill the loosing contestants! What the hell does that say about you?"

"That I won!" he almost screamed.

The 'Anne' Droid spoke over the two of us, "_**Rodrick, you are the strongest link, you will be transported home with one thousand six hundred credits.**_"

"Oh, thank you, thank you so much," Rodrick said.

I shook behind my podium. I knew what was coming, I was going to be disintegrated and sent to the Dalek ship. "Oh god," I whimpered.

"FALINE!" I heard a very familiar voice call. My head snapped to the side as I saw the Doctor by the door.

"_**Faline,**_" the 'Anne' Droid spoke to me,__"_**you leave this life with nothing—**_"

"Stop this game!" Jack shouted.

The Doctor then added, "I order you to stop this game!"

The Floor Manager protested, "We're live on air!"

The Doctor ignored her and ran across the wide space of floor as fast as he could. I pushed my podium out of my way and ran to my Doctor. Tears slipped past my cheeks as I raced towards him. "_**You are the weakest link.**_" The 'Anne' Droid said.

"Doctor!" I shouted. I knew what was coming, but it didn't stop me from being terrified. I screamed when I felt the disintegration beam hit me. I locked eyes with my Doctor before I was 'disintegrated'. The last thing on my mind was my Doctor's bright blue eyes as he watched me disappear.

-x-x-x-

I slowly opened my eyes, not really wanting to wake. I slowly sat up, immeditaly seeing the Dalek. "Oh god," I said softly. I stood, watching the Dalek, waiting for it to kill me and hoping that this went along with the show. The Dalek backed me up against the wall, it's plunger out towards me menacingly. The Dalek didn't say anything, it merely kept me from leaving. So I sat down again, fear was causing my legs to quake and I didn't want the Dalek to take that as me readying myself to escape. But I suppose that it also could have taken my sitting on the floor the same way, but it thankfully didn't. The Dalek did nothing, merely watched me. It was more than likely part of it's commands, not to kill me _yet_ but that didn't mean that it couldn't go against it's orders and 'exterminate' me. That also didn't make this any less terrifying.

Another Dalek made its way towards the two of us. A small crowd of Daleks followed. The second Dalek then said, "**ALERT! ALERT! WE ARE DETECTED!**"

The Dalek keeping me here said, "**IT IS THE DOCTOR! HE HAS LOCATED US!**" I smiled at the mention of the Doctor. It meant that he was trying to get me back. "**OPEN COMMUNICATIONS CHANNEL!**"

The second Dalek swiveled to face me, "**THE FEMALE WILL STAND. STAND!**"

I immediately stood, not wanting to anger the Dalek any more. An image materialized in mid air. The Doctor and Jack were there with two other women and a man.

"**I WILL TALK TO THE DOCTOR**," the first Dalek said.

"Oh, will you? That's nice. Hello!" the Doctor waved at the mockingly, his fake grin fading rapidly.

"**THE DALEK STRATAGEM NEARS COMPLETION. THE FLEET IS ALMOST READY. YOU WILL NOT INTERVENE.**"

"Oh, really? Why's that then?" the Doctor asked.

"**WE HAVE YOUR ASSOCIATE. YOU WILL OBEY OR SHE WILL BE EXTERMINATED.**"

I flinched but kept my eyes locked on the Doctor. "No," he said. Jack, the two women and the man all jerked their head to him, while I just watched. I trusted the Doctor to know what he was doing.

The fist Dalek, clearly not having anticipated the Doctor's answer, said, "**EXPLAIN YOURSELF.**"

"I said 'no'," the Doctor clarified.

"**WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS NEGATIVE?**"

"It means 'no'."

"**BUT SHE WILL BE DESTROYED.**"

The Doctor stood with passion in his eyes, "No! 'Cos this is what I'm gonna do - I'm gonna rescue her." I smiled at the Doctor and he returned it with a small smirk. "I'm gonna save Faline Marks from the middle of the Dalek Fleet, and then I'm gonna save the Earth, and then just to finish off, I'm gonna wipe every last STINKING Dalek outta the sky!"

"**BUT YOU HAVE NO WEAPONS! NO DEFENCES! NO PLAN!**"

The Doctor grinned, "Yeah. And doesn't that scare you to death?" The Doctor then turned his attention solely to me, "Faline?"

I smiled and said, "Yes, Nine?"

The Doctor smiled at my nickname for him. It communicated something silent between us. It told him that I trusted him, that I was placing my life in his hands. "I'm coming to get you," he told me. The communication line closed.

The first Dalek then practically yelled, "**THE DOCTOR IS INITIATING HOSTILE ACTION!**"

The second Dalek said, "**THE STRATAGEM MUST ADVANCE. BEGIN THE INVASION OF EARTH!**"

The Daleks all began to spin wildly. I almost ran out of their way, not wanting to touch them in fear of what happened last time. A third Dalek then said, "**THE DOCTOR WILL BE EXTERMINATED!**"

All the Daleks shouted, "**EXTERMINATE!**"

I shivered as the entire ship, thousands of Daleks began crying 'exterminate!' as one unit.

**TO BE CONTINUED**

**AN: Sorry this chapter is so short. There is only so much that can be said in Faline's point of view and seeing as I too have never seen the 'Weakest Link' I didn't know what to add.**


	13. 1x13

**1x13 "The Parting of the Ways"**

The Daleks were all in a state of panic. The first Dalek turned to me. "**YOU KNOW THE DOCTOR! YOU UNDERSTAND HIM! YOU WILL PREDICT HIS ACTIONS!**"

I glared at the Dalek. "I don't know!" The Dalek glided towards me, clearly not happy with my answer. "No one can predict the Doctor. And even if I could I wouldn't tell Dalek scum like you." I bit my lip as soon as those words came from my mouth. Oh shit. I'm going to die, this Dalek is going to kill me for saying that it was anything less than a god.

"**PREDICT! PREDICT! PREDICT!**" it growled. I almost cried. So it seamed that it was more worried about the Doctor then about something a pathetic little human said.

The second Dalek spoke, distracting the first, "**TARDIS DETECTED. IN FLIGHT.**"

"**LAUNCH MISSILES! EXTERMINATE!**" the first Dalek said.

My eyes widened. "No! The TARDIS defenses are down! You'll kill him!"

If Daleks had a face and lips this one would have smiled evilly as it said, "**YOU HAVE PREDICTED CORRECTLY.**"

The space ship shook slightly as the Dalek's fired upon the TARDIS. I couldn't see what was happening, and I hoped to god the Doctor was able to avoid whatever they fired. I smiled when I heard the sound of the TARDIS materializing only moments later. I looked around, trying to see the TARDIS. A breeze tugged at my hair as the TARDIS began to materialize around a Dalek and myself.

The Doctor's outline became more and more distinct, standing beside the console. When the engines stopped the Doctor yelled at me, "Faline! Get down!" For a moment I didn't do anything but the Doctor yelled at me again, "Get down, Faline!" I threw myself onto the floor.

"**EXTERMINATE!**" the Dalek yelled firing at Jack. Jack held something in his hands so that when the ray hit it, it deflected back at the Dalek who exploded with a scream. Smoke billowed from the remains of the Dalek. I wasn't bothered like I was seeing the contestants from 'The Weakest Link' disintegrated.

I stood, smiling at the Doctor. I threw my arms into the air and shouted, "Whoo!" The TARDIS was silent for a long moment after all the action. The Doctor came forward and I ran at him, wrapping my arms around him, which he immediately returned. "I missed you," I whispered softly.

"Told you I'd come and get you," the Doctor said. I could practically hear the smile in his voice.

I pulled away from him and said, "I never doubted that."

"I did!" he said.

I frowned, "Ya, thanks that makes me feel so much better after facing off with Daleks and living to say I called one 'scum'."

"You all right?" he asked, worry etched on his face.

I smiled, "Fine. You?"

The Doctor shrugged, "Not bad. Been better." He walked over to the smoldering remains of the Dalek.

Jack made his way over to me, "Hey, don't I get a hug?" I laughed and opened my arms. Jack gestured to the Doctor. "I was talking to him." I pouted before the both of us laughed and Jack hugged me. He lifted me and spun me around. "Welcome home Kitten!"

As he placed me down again I said, "I was worried about you."

I felt Jack tighten his hug slightly before he pulled away. "Oh, you were lucky," he told me. "I was just a one-shot wonder. Drained the gun of all its power supply. Now it's just a piece of junk." We turned to the Doctor where he was carefully examining the Dalek with his sonic screwdriver. Jack and I slowly made our way over. The battle armor of the Dalek had been blasted away giving us a clear view of the mutant inside. It was quiet a long moment before Jack said, "One minute they're the greatest threat in the universe, the next minute they vanished out of time and space."

The Doctor didn't removed his eyes from the Dalek as he said, "They went off to fight a bigger war... the Time War..."

Jack's eyes widened, "I thought that was just a legend."

"I was there," the Doctor told us. "The war between the Daleks and the Time Lords. With the whole of creation at stake. My people were destroyed, but they took the Daleks with them." The Doctor's voice softened, "I almost thought it was worth it. Now it turns out they died for nothing."

I bit my lip and asked, "There's thousands of them and we could hardly stop one. How are we going to deal with all the rest?"

"No good stood round here chin-wagging! Human race, you'd gossip all day. The Daleks have got the answers - let's go and meet the neighbors." The Doctor headed down the ramp.

My eyes widened, "Doctor!" I raced after him almost running into him as he stopped right outside the TARDIS.

I grabbed the Doctor's hand as we came face to face with the Daleks from before. "**EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!**" The Dalek's fired their death ray's, only to have the deflected off the TARDIS shield. After a few moments of firing the Daleks gave up, causing the sound of their guns to fade into silence.

The Doctor raised his hands mockingly, "Is that it? Useless! Nul points." The Doctor leaned against the TARDIS and turned to Jack who was peaking outside the TARDIS doors. I stood beside the Doctor, keeping his hand encased in mine. I was terrified to have the Daleks take me again. "It's all right, come on out. That force field can hold back anything."

"Almost anything," Jack corrected.

"... Yes, but I wasn't gonna tell them that. Thanks."

Jack smiled sheepishly, "Sorry."

The Daleks were silent, watching us. The Doctor then stepped forward, releasing my hand only to have it be taken by Jack. "D'you know what they call me in the ancient legends of the Dalek Homeworld? The Oncoming Storm." I shivered, the Doctor truly was the 'Oncoming Storm' that I had seen. "You might've removed all your emotions... but I reckon that right down deep in your DNA, there's one little spark left. And that's fear." The Dalek's eyepieces twitched nervously. "Doesn't it just BURN when you face me? So, tell me - how did you survive the Time War?"

"**THEY SURVIVED THROUGH ME,**" a deep ominous voice called. We turned, not having see this large Dalek. The Doctor took a few steps towards the towering Dalek, staring at him in open-mouthed awe.

The Doctor then addressed us, "Faline... Captain... this is the Emperor of the Daleks."

"**YOU DESTROYED US, DOCTOR. THE DALEK RACE DIED IN YOUR INFERNO, BUT MY SHIP SURVIVED, FALLING THROUGH TIME,** **CRIPPLED BUT ALIVE.**"

"I get it," the Doctor said.

"**DO NOT INTERRUPT!**" one Dalek cried, only to be repeated by two others.

I flinched and moved towards Jack. The Captain wrapped his arm around my waist, trying to keep me safe and secure; or to at least show me I was. The Doctor however didn't flinch away like I had. The Doctor looked mildly annoyed, still strong and unwavering. "I think you're forgetting something. I'm the Doctor. And if there's one thing I can do - it's talk. I've got five billion languages, and you haven't got one way of stopping me. So if anybody's gonna shut up, it's YOU!" He pronounced his last words with such fever, that the Daleks shuffled backwards slightly. The Doctor turned back to the Emperor Dalek, his voice softer, "Okey doke. So, where were we?"

"**WE WAITED HERE IN THE DARK SPACE, DAMAGED BUT REBUILDING. CENTURIES PASSED, AND WE QUIETLY INFILTRATED THE** **SYSTEMS OF EARTH. HARVESTING THE WASTE OF HUMANITY. THE PRISONERS, THE REFUGEES, THE DISPOSSESSED - THEY ALL** **CAME TO US. THE BODIES WERE FILTERED, PULPED, SIFTED.**" I frowned. It was sickening to know that the Daleks actually felt this and that it wasn't an act like back home. "**THE SEED OF THE HUMAN RACE IS PERVERTED. ONLY ONE CELL IN A BILLION WAS FIT TO BE NURTURED.**"

"So, you created an army of Daleks out of the dead," the Doctor said.

I bit my lip ring before saying, "That makes them half human."

The Emperor Dalek then almost screamed at me, "**THOSE WORDS ARE BLASPHEMY!**"

It was followed my lesser Daleks calling out one after another, "**DO NOT BLASPHEME!**"

The Emperor Dalek then spoke again. "**EVERYTHING HUMAN HAS BEEN PURGED. I CULTIVATED PURE AND BLESSED DALEK.**"

The Doctor looked around at them all, clearly disturbed. "Since when did the Daleks have a concept of blasphemy?"

"**I REACHED INTO THE DIRT AND MADE NEW LIFE. I AM THE GOD OF ALL DALEKS!**"

Daleks all over the ship began to cry out, "**WORSHIP HIM! WORSHIP HIM! WORSHIP HIM!**"

The Doctor turned to Jack and I, "They're insane! A hundred years hiding in silence – that's enough to drive anyone mad." He stared at the Daleks, walking towards them. I could almost see the pity in the Doctor's eyes. "But its worse than that. Driven mad by your own flesh. The stink of humanity." He shook his head sadly. "You hate your own existence. And that makes them more deadly than ever." The Doctor turned to the Emperor Dalek. "We're going." The Doctor turned, taking my hand back and walking me to the TARDIS.

"**YOU MAY NOT****LEAVE MY PRESENCE!**" the Emperor Dalek cried. However, the Doctor merely opened the door, letting Jack go in first before letting me in.

"**STAY WHERE YOU ARE!**" one Dalek cried. The Doctor grinned at them mockingly before closing the door.

We could just barely hear them cry, "**EXTERMINATE!**" Followed by the sound of their weapons hitting the force field.

I watched as the Doctor leaned his head against the doors. I knew that no matter how confident the Doctor appeared and no matter how much belief I had in him; he never knew what to do. The Doctor went moment by moment.

-x-x-x-

The Doctor, Jack, and I stepped out of the TARDIS. I looked around only to see we were back on Satellite Five; I recognized the room as Floor 500. The Doctor made his way to the controls saying, "Turn everything up. All transmissions, wide open, full power. Now! Do it!"

A man nodded doing exactly as the Doctor told him, "What does that do?"

"Stops the Daleks from transmatting on board." The Doctor said. "How did you get on? Did you contact Earth?"

"Well, we tried to warn them," the man said, "but all they did was suspend our license because we stopped the programs."

"And the planet's just sitting there, defenseless." The Doctor then noticed the blonde girl with the crazy clothes, though I suppose in this year they would be considered normal but whatever. "Lynda, what're you still doing on board?" The Doctor turned to the man. "I told you to evacuate everyone."

"She wouldn't go," the man said.

Lynda smiled at the Doctor. "Didn't wanna leave ya." I looked away, remembering that the Doctor always liked blondes and clearly with my honey brown hair I didn't fit into that mold.

The woman, dressed very similar to the man, said, "There weren't enough shuttles anyway, or I wouldn't be here... we've got about a hundred people stranded on Floor Zero."

I wrapped my arms around myself and looked down. The Doctor turned and looked at me, "Faline?" he asked.

I couldn't look at him as I said, "This isn't a type of day that you wish for Doctor." I could tell without looking that he knew exactly what I was talking about. The people on Floor Zero were going to die.

It was silent for a long moment before the man said, "Oh, my God. The Fleet is moving. They're on their way."

The Doctor jumped to action, frantically ripping out armfuls of wires from desks. We watched as he worked, clearly not knowing exactly what the hell he was trying to do but knowing that we should stay out of his way. The Doctor spoke quickly, more to himself than anything. "Dalek plan - big mistake. Because what have they left me with? Anyone? Anyone? Oh, come on - it's obvious. A great big transmitter - this station." Jack stared at him, brow furrowed in concentration, trying to work out what the Doctor was talking about. "If I can change the signal, fold it back, sequence it – anyone?"

"You've gotta be kidding," Jack said.

The Doctor smiled, "Give the man a medal!"

"A Delta Wave?" Jack asked just to be sure.

"A Delta Wave!" the Doctor repeated excitedly.

I frowned and then asked, "What's a Delta Wave?"

"A wave of Van Cassadyne energy," Jack explained. "Fries your brain - stand in the way of a Delta Wave and your head gets barbequed!"

"Lovely image," I said rolling my eyes.

The Doctor ignored me, though Jack pushed my shoulder slightly, and continued on, "And this place can transmit a MASSIVE wave! Wipe out the Daleks!"

I opened my mouth to say something but was interrupted by Lynda. Well, get started and do it then!" I snapped my mouth shut.

"Trouble is," the Doctor said, "wave this size, building this big, brain as clever as mine, should take about - ooh - three days? How long till the Fleet arrive?"

The man looked at the computer before saying, "Twenty-two minutes." The Doctor frantically pulled another cable out from underneath the desk, stared at the end of it for a moment, looked up and smiled at us all.

While we let the Doctor work, none of us other than Jack knowing what he was doing, Jack told us … what the Doctor was doing and what the plan to protect ourselves was. "We've now got a force field so they can't blast us out of the sky. But that doesn't stop the Daleks from physically invading."

"Do they know about the Delta Wave?" the man asked.

Jack nodded, "They'll have worked it out at the same time. So, if they want to stop the Doctor, that means they've got to get to this level – 500." Jack indicated to the illustrative diagram on the screen. "Now, I can concentrate the extrapolator around the top six levels, 500 to 495. So, they'll penetrate the station below at level 494 and fight their way up."

"Who're they fighting?" the man asked.

"Us," Jack said simply.

"And … what're we fighting with?" the man asked.

"The guards had guns with bastic bullets – that's enough to blow a Dalek wide open," Jack explained.

The woman then skeptically said, "There's _five_ of us."

The Doctor then called from where he was busing himself with the wires. "Faline, you can help me. I need all these wires stripped bare." I rolled my eyes as I made my way over. He was _so_ listening in but I wasn't complaining. I was terrified at the idea of facing the Daleks again. It was bad enough on the ship and it's bad enough now.

I heard the woman say, "Right! Now there's _four_ of us!"

Jack clapped his hands once and said, "Then let's move it! Into the lift! Isolate the lift controls!"

The man and woman hurried off to do as told while Lynda made her way to the Doctor. He stood up to meet her, "I - I just wanna say, um... thanks, I s'pose. And... I'll do my best!"

"Me too," the Doctor said. I looked away after a moment of them awkwardly trying to decide how to say goodbye. It hurt to watching, knowing that they only ones that would make it out alive were Jack, the Doctor, and myself. And that's if everything goes according to plan.

When I looked back Lynda left and Jack was making his way to us to say his goodbyes. I stood and watched Jack. He tried to keep it light by saying, "It's been fun!" The Doctor and I smiled. But his voice then turned serious, "But I guess this is goodbye."

I smiled and said, "Jack. You're going to make it out of this." Jack opened his mouth to argue but I quickly said, "Don't argue with me Jack."

Jack smiled, "Faline…" he cupped my face in both his hands, looking intensely into my eyes. "You are worth fighting for." There was something in his eyes when he said that, like he meant it with all his being. Jack killed my forehead before releasing me and turning to the Doctor grinning, "Wish I'd never met you, Doctor!" He then cupped the Doctor's face just like he had mine and said, "I was much better off as a coward." He then kissed the Doctor sqarely on the lips. Jack pulled away and placed a hand on each of our shoulders, pointing forward to the exit. "See ya in hell." He then ran off as we watching him in silence.

"I wasn't lying," I told the Doctor after a moment. "If the one thing I'm most worried about goes according to plan Jack is going to make it out of this."

"How can you be so sure?" the Doctor asked.

I smiled at him, "Because I know you Doctor."

-x-x-x-

The Doctor and I sat on the floor in the space between the middle row of desks, working busily in a companionable silence. We were the only two left on Floor 500. Finally, after another few minutes I couldn't take the silence any more. "You know what sucks?" I asked him.

The Doctor gave me a look before asking, "No, what?"

"We can't use the TARDIS to go back on our own timeline other than for cheap parlor tricks."

"Parlor tricks?" he asked.

I laughed, "I'm quoting you."

We were both silent for another few long moments before the Doctor said, "Where's another thing the TARDIS could do … it could take us away …" I gave him a small smile. I knew where he was getting at. "We could leave. Let history take its course. We got to Marbella in 1989."

I nodded, "Yes. But you would never do that."

The Doctor met my eyes, "No, but you could ask." I didn't say anything and the Doctor spoke with quiet affection. "Never even occurred to you, did it?"

"Even if it did," I said, "I would never ask you Doctor. Even though I'm terrified, paranoid, and worried there is no way I would ask you. I guess you bring out the best in me." I didn't try to understand the look that passed over the Doctor's face as he looked at me. The smile he was giving me meant more than anything and I didn't want to cause my paranoia to kick in by over thinking the smile that meant so much to me without its meaning.

The computer whirred in the background and the Doctor looked over at it, suddenly alert. "The Delta Wave's started building. How long does it need?" We both leapt to our feet and rushed over to the computers. The Doctor sat himself in one of the chairs and I leaned over his shoulder. He pressed a few buttons, staring that the monitor. I turned to look at him only to watch his face drop. "Doctor?" He didn't reply, his head sinking to his knees. "I guess that it's bad news."

The Doctor suddenly perked up. He leapt to his feet, eyes bright. "Faline Marks, you're a _genius_!" I gave him a smile, though I wasn't entirely sure why he was happy. He kissed me on the forehead before saying, "We can do it! If I use the TARDIS to cross my old timeline... yes!" He ran towards the TARDIS as I paused. I knew what the Doctor was doing but still I followed. The Doctor made his way over to the console and pointed to a lever, "Hold that down and keep position."

I bit my lip and asked, "What's it do?"

The Doctor was too busy looking at the computer to see my nervous tick, "Cancels the buffers. If I'm very clever – and I'm more than clever, I'm _brilliant_ – I might just save the world. Or rip it apart…"

"Doctor," I said grabbed his arm when he moved to pass me with the hand not holding down the lever. "You should know that the only reason I'm holding down this lever is because I trust you." I gave him a weak smile, "You always seam to forget that I know what's going to happen." I dropped the lever and wrapped my arms around the Doctor. "All you had to do was tell me to get into the TARDIS so you could send me home."

The Doctor wrapped his arms around me, petting my hair. "You would have fought me."

"Damn right I would have," I told him. "But I would have listened either way. I trust you Doctor." I fisted his jacket and said, "More than anyone."

The Doctor was quiet for a long moment before saying, "Please Faline. Please, just go back to the Tylers. Stay with them."

I bit my lip ring, "I don't want to but I trust you." I pulled from him so he could see my face and said, "But I know I will see you again." I stepped away from him and said, "Now go before I start crying." The Doctor didn't say anything. He just kissed my forehead and left. Tears began to cascade down my cheeks as soon as the door close.

The TARDIS began to hum to life and I walked to the console. After a few moments a hologram of the Doctor appeared standing beside the console. "This is Emergency Program One. Faline, now listen, this is important. If this message is activated, then it can only mean one thing." I openly sobbed. "We must be in danger. And I mean fatal. I'm dead or about to die any second with no change of escape. And that's okay. Hope it's a good death. But I promised to look after you, and that's what I'm doing. The TARDIS is taking you home. And I bet you're fussing and moaning now – typical. But hold on and just listen a bit more. The TARDIS can never return for me. Emergency Program One means I'm facing an enemy that should never get their hands on this machine. So this is what you should do: let the TARDIS die."

I slowly pet the console and said to the TARDIS, "I swear I wont let that happen."

The Doctor continued, the hologram not stopping when I spoke, "Just let this old box gather dust. No one can open it; no one will even notice it. Let it become a strange little thing standing on a street corner. And over the years, the world will move on and the box will be buried. And if you want to remember me, then you can do one thing. That's all. One thing." He turned to face me, his eyes full of compassion as though the hologram knew I was there, and I wouldn't put it past him to have something like that on the TARDIS. The Doctor's voice was less distorted, "Have a good life. Do that for me, Faline. Have a fantastic life." The hologram Doctor flickered before fading altogether.

I sobbed and whispered, "I hate that I can't hate you Doctor." The TARDIS, seaming to hear me, slowly came to a stop. Her engines died down and grinded to a halt. I, however, didn't leave the TARDIS. I looked down at the controls and whispered, "Please. Open up the vent." I tapped said vent with my foot. "Please. I can save him, you, Jack." I sat down onto the vent, pulling my knees to my chest and crying into them.

Five minutes into my crying there was a knock at the TARDIS doors, I could hear Rose and Mickey calling out to me and calling out Jack and the Doctor's names thinking they were with me. After a few moments of my crying the doors opened. Mickey and Rose came in with smiles on their faces, however upon seeing me crying Rose's smile vanished. Mickey however, didn't seam to notice and talked as though nothing were wrong. "I knew it! I was all the way down Clifton's Parade, and I heard the engines and I thought 'there's only one thing that makes a noise like that'." He noticed then that Rose had rushed towards me and held me in her arms. "What is it?" he asked, joining Rose on my other side.

"He sent me home," I cried. "He sent me here so I wouldn't die."

"Come on," Rose said softly as she stood, helping me to my feet. Mickey stood off to the side, not sure what he should be doing. "Let's get you out of here."

I tugged my arm from Rose's grip. "I can't leave. I have to help the Doctor." I turned back to the control panel. "You two can just leave. You don't need to be here."

There was silence for a long moment before I heard Mickey say something that completely contradicted his character, "What can we do to help you get your Doctor back?" I turned to him with a smile.

I smiled, "All the TARDIS needs to do is get me back to the Doctor."

Mickey frowned, "And how can it do that?"

"_SHE_ is telepathic." I ran my fingers over the control panel. "The TARDIS knows what I want, she just cant help me, not directly." I pointed to the grate I tried to open before. "But if we get this opened I can communicate with her, through her heart."

"Faline," Rose said softly. I turned to the blonde, "If you go back you'll die."

I smiled at her, "I wont. Rose, Mickey, I've never told you. But I'm not from this universe. I'm from another where all these events are the same except in one aspect."

"What aspect?" Mickey asked.

"Me," I said. "Everything I've done with the Doctor, Rose was supposed to do." I looked at the blonde, gaging her reaction. "I never thought I'd take your place, just come along for the ride. But when you didn't come when we offered I knew that I was going to have to do just about everything you did. While saving those that couldn't be saved before. Plus, I'm kind of glad that I took your place." I paused and looked between her and Mickey. "The Doctor, being a part of your life like he is mine, would have torn you two apart and I don't want that. I always thought that you two should be together." That was a lie; I actually thought that Mickey fit better with Martha Jones. The two of them fighting together when the Doctor said goodbye showed how well they fit, at least to me. But I wasn't going to tell them that.

"I would have never done that to Mickey," Rose said grabbed his hand.

"Now, but then? You would have." I looked at them both. "Please help me. The Doctor is the only thing left connecting me to my family. I have nothing about them, not even pictures." That was true, and I wasn't going to look them up like Rose did when I went missing because they weren't _my_ family. "I need to the Doctor to keep myself sane."

Mickey nodded, "Let's get this thing open."

-x-x-x- 

Mickey attached his Beetle car to a chain, revving the engine and slamming his foot on the gas pedal, trying to get it to go. The other end of the chain was attached to the vent grate by the TARDIS console, "FASTER!" I screamed at him, only to have it echoed by Rose who was outside to relay the messages to her boyfriend. The chain grew taunt as Mickey followed my orders, slamming his foot harder on the pedal. I glanced outside to see steam billow from underneath his car. I kind of felt bad about it but the Doctor's life is worth more than Mickey's car. I sucked on my lip ring, "Come on. Please work," I said softly. The chain suddenly snapped and I yelped in pain as one of the chain links hit me in calf. "DAMN IT!" I screamed. I leaned over the console and whispered, "Please. Let me save the Doctor. Let me keep you from dying. Without him neither of us are anything. Just please. Please."

-x-x-x-

I sat against the console in the TARDIS. Jackie had come to see me not too long ago, trying to convince me to give up the Doctor. I had snapped at her and said, 'If you were going through the same thing. If you could stop your husband from dying, there's no way in _fucking hell_ that you would stop'. By me saying that Rose then told her mother that we had taken the blonde on a trip into the past and that she had been there when her father died. The Tyler woman had run from the TARDIS in tears, not wanting to believe her daughter. Rose left me not long after that, needing some time alone before she faced her mother again.

I frowned and crawled over to the vent, and began to try and pry it open. It was then that I was glad that I kept my fingernails insanely short because I was almost sure that I would have broken them.

"Faline!" I heard someone yell. There were loud footsteps and a pair of hands ripped mine from the vent. I looked up to see Mickey staring at me with wide eyes. "What the hell?" he demanded.

I frowned, "What?" My voice was scratchy making me realize that while I tried to pry the vent cover off I had been crying.

"Your hands!" he said. I looked down to my hands to see that my fingers and palms were covered in the beginning on black and blues and bleeding cuts, those only on my palms, from the vent pinching my skin. "Come on," Mickey said, his voice calmer. "I have a first aid in my car." I stood and followed him. I stared at the doors of the TARDIS as Mickey retrieved the elusive first aid kit from his dirty car. Mickey wrapped my palms in clean wrappings from inside the kit, that I'm sure was a few years too old for use of anything but the wrappings and Band-Aids.

"What happened?" Rose asked rushed up to the two of us.

"She tried to open it with her hands," Mickey explained as he dropped my right hand to work on my left.

"Faline!" Rose said shocked.

I kept my eyes on the TARDIS and said, "There had to be something we can do."

Rose sighed and leaned against Mickey's car. "Maybe my mum was right … maybe we should just lock the door and walk away."

Mickey turned to her, "I'm not having that. I'm not having you just—just give up now. No way. We just need something stronger than my car … something bigger … something like that!"

The three of us turned as we heard the roar of an engine. We saw a huge recovery truck drive around the corner, driven by none other than Jackie Tyler. For the first time since I saw the Doctor I smiled. The truck came to a halt and Jackie climbed out before making her way over to us. "Right. You've only got this until six o' clock, so get on with it."

Rose was the first to recover from the shock the tree of us were under, "Mum, where the hell did you get that from?"

Jackie smiled, "Rodrigo. He owes me a favor. Never mind why, but Rose, you were right about your dad. He was full of mad ideas, and this is exactly what he would've done." Jackie then turned to me. "Faline, your right. I would have done anything to keep Pete from dying. That's why I'm helping you." The Tyler woman came forward and kissed my forehead. "He would've liked you. Willing to do anything for those you care about." She wiped away tears as they fell from my cheeks. "I'm doing this because your Rose's best friend. Because your like my second daughter even though I don't know you well enough. Now, get on with it before I change my mind." Jackie chucked the keys to Mickey, who caught them with a nod of thanks and hurried to the door of the truck.

I kissed Jackie's cheek giving her a tight hug, "Thank you." I ran back into the TARDIS. I attached the chain back up to the vent under the console. "Get ready, this is probably gonna hurt." Jackie and Rose were by the TARDIS doors, ready to call out orders from me. The chain stretched itself almost to it's limit. "Keep going!" I yelled.

I could head Jackie tell Mickey to, "Put your foot down!"

"Faster!"

"Give it some more Mickey!"

The metal began to creak with its effort. "Keep going!"

"Come on! Come on!" the Tyler women yelled together.

The metal creaking grew louder, "Keep going!"

"Give it some more!"

There was a slight jerk as the panel flew open and a blinding while light poured out. I smiled and stepped forward to look into the light. A nonexistent breeze blew at my hair and the light flew into my eyes as two golden streams. It didn't hurt like it thought it would. It was actually close to that feeling you got when you kept your eyes closed for so long that when you opened them again it took a while for you to actually see, for all the darkness to recede.

I half heard someone cry out my name. The TARDIS door closed before I even through to get it to. I suppose that made sense the vortex was attached to me and I to it, just like with the TARDIS and the vortex. The TARDIS started up, while everything filled with light. I closed my glowing eyes, and pictured myself exiting the TARDIS on Floor 500 on Satellite Five. I opened them again, the stream that connected me to the vortex had yet to be cut. The breeze inside the TARDIS grew stronger.

The TARDIS landed and I felt the connection cut. I walked to the entrance as the doors flew open, the blinding golden light of the time vortex poured out. I watched the Doctor, my heart beating faster, as he stumbled backwards, falling to the ground. "What've you done?" he asked me, clearly terrified at what I had done.

I spoke, my voice sounding like I had an echo. "I looked into the TARDIS, and she looked into me."

"You looked into the Time Vortex," I nodded. I knew this. "Faline, no one's meant to see that."

"**THIS IS THE ABOMINATION!**" the Dalek Emperor cried.

"**EXTERMINATE!**" A Dalek fired at me. I turned to it, holding up my hand. The ray froze before reversing back into the gun it came from.

I tilted my head, well that was new. I turned back to the Doctor and spoke to him, "I am Bad Wolf. I will create myself. I take the words…" I waved my hand at the words 'BAD WOLF' written high on the wall. "I scatter them in time and space." The words 'Bad Wolf' rose from the wall and floated away. "A message to lead myself here, and to lead you where you need to be."

"Faline," the Doctor said, "you've got to stop this. You've got to stop this now." I turned from him slowly. But I didn't want to stop, why didn't I want to stop? "You've got the entire vortex running through your head. You're gonna burn."

I snapped my head to the Doctor, "I want you safe," I told him as tears began to slip down my cheeks. "_My_ Doctor. Protected from the false God."

"**YOU CANNOT HURT ME. I AM IMMORTAL.**" Emperor Dalek growled.

"You are tiny. I can see the whole of time and space. Ever single atom of your pathtic little existence," I glared, "and I divide them." I rose my hand. The Daleks, one by one, began to separate into golden, liquid-like particles. "Everything must come to dust… all things." Immediately my mind went to 'Impossible Astronaut'. The burning body over Lake Silencio, Utah. "Everything dies. The Time War ends."

I felt as every Dalek turned to dust, it didn't hurt. It felt like thousands of tingles covered my body. The Doctor slowly approached my saying, "Faline, you've done it. Now stop. Just let go."

I tilted my head and asked, "How can I let go? I can bring life…" In the back of my mind I watched as a dead Jack suddenly took a huge intake of breath, his eyes snapping open. The beginning of Jack's never ending life. I was done. I had done all I wanted to do, save the Doctor and bring Jack back to life. But what do I do now?

I heard the terror in his voice as the Doctor said, "But this is wrong! You can't control life and death!"

I tilted my head. I didn't understand why he was saying that when I could do that. "But I can. The sun and the moon… the day and night…" I sucked on my lip ring. Doctor, why can't I stop? "Why does it hurt?"

"The power's gonna kill you and it's my fault," he lowered his head.

Tears fell as I whispered, "It's not." I wrapped my arms around the Doctor, the pressure and pounding in my head growing. "I knew. I know. So much about you. About this. I _chose_ this Doctor. It's not your fault. I want you safe Doctor." I paused before saying, not entirely in control of my words, "_My_ Doctor."

The Doctor chuckled softly and said to me, "That's what I see. All the time. And doesn't it drive you mad?"

I hiccupped a sob and cried, "My head… it's killing me…"

The Doctor pulled away from me, taking my hands, "I think you need a Doctor."

"My Doctor?" I asked softly. My heart thundered in my chest, as though it were going to burst.

The Doctor gave me a soft smile, nodding his head. "Your Doctor." We stared into one another's eyes for a long moment. He then gently, carefully, leaned down and pressed his lips against mine. I willed myself to keep this moment, this kiss. Because even though I was _sure_ he was just doing it to save my life, it meant the world to me. I felt the pressure and pain in my head slowly go away as the Time Vortex flew from my eyes into the Doctor's. We parted slowly and gazed at one another for a few more moments. I wanted to kiss him again. If he didn't like that from me, which of course he wouldn't because I was just some stupid human that got stuck in his world, then I could blame it on my headache. I leaned forward and gave the Doctor another kiss, the slight move forward draining me of my energy. I pulled back again, looking at the Doctor before my eyes rolled back and I fell into darkness.

-x-x-x-

I slowly opened my eyes. My head was pounding and my heart was throbbing. No wait … head was throbbing and heart was pounding. There that was better. I lifted myself from the floor by the console. I held my head as I asked, "What happened?"

The Doctor turned to me, clearly mildly surprised, "Don't you remember?"

I bit my lip. "Depends. Did I just take on the Time Vortex, kill a shitload of Daleks, almost go mad with power, almost die, kiss you, twice," I smiled at that one. "Have you take the vortex energy from me, and then have you carry me here?"

The Doctor nodded, "Yes."

"Okay, then I remember everything," I told him getting up.

I noticed the Doctor watching me. I tilted my head in confusion and he smiled, "Faline Marks." He gave a small laugh. "I was gonna take you to so many places. Barcelona – not the city Barcelona, the planet. You'd love it. Fantastic place – they've got dogs with no noses." He laughed at his own joke and I joined in. "Imagine how many times a day you end up telling that joke, and it's still funny!"

"Then why do you make it seam like we … cant … go …" I hit me. The Doctor was regenerating. And it was my fault he was forced to change. Forced to be someone new, going through the process for the tenth time.

"Maybe you will," the Doctor said. "And maybe I will. But not like this."

I walked to the Doctor and wrapped my arms around him. "I'm so sorry Doctor. I don't want you to regenerate. God, its my fault."

"No its not Faline," he told me. "Its not your fault. I promise." I felt him kiss the top of my head. "I promised you I'd take care of you. I wouldn't be doing a very good job if you died on me when I could save you."

"Doctor," I said softly.

"Hmm?"

"Are you mad at me?" I asked.

"No, I'm not mad that I'm regenerating," he told me. "Don't worry about tha-"

"No," I shook my head and pulled away from him. "That I kissed you?" What the hell just came out my damn mouth? Why did I ask him that? I wanted to know of course, but I don't want the last thing the Ninth Doctor to tell me to be that he hated the kiss. That I was a horrible person and that I should crawl under a rock and die. Okay, so maybe the last part was how I would be feeling.

The Doctor grabbed my face and pulled it forward. He pecked my forehead and then kissed my lips. The Doctor pulled back, smirking at the shocked look that spread across my stupid face. "No. I'm not mad."

The Doctor was suddenly propelled backward with a blast of golden light. He clutched his stomach as though he had been punched. "Doctor!" I cried. I flinched toward him but knew that I shouldn't touch him.

"Stay away!" he cried, wincing in pain. The Doctor tried to keep his voice light through the pain as he spoke, "I absorbed all the energy of the Time Vortex, and no one's meant to do that!" He screwed up his eyes in pain. "Every cell in my body's dying." He locked eyes with me and said, "I'm not gonna see you again. Not like this. Not with this daft old face." He laughed, clearly not wanting to scare me. But he was too late, I was already terrified for him. "And before I go…"

"Don't say that," I pleaded. "You aren't leaving, not really."

"Faline…" I bit my lip, letting the Doctor say what he had to say. "Before I go, I just wanna tell you, you were fantastic." He smiled at me. "Absolutely fantastic. And d'you know what?" I shook my head. "So was I." I smiled nodding.

The Doctor smiled widely back at me for the last few moments before he suddenly convulsed. Orange energy exploded from his skin, blasting out of the neck of his sweater, the sleeves of his jacket, and the bottoms of his pants. I had to shield my eyes from the bright light, nothing like the Time Vortex. Yet, at the same time I couldn't look away. I watched as the Doctor's hair lengthened and face changed. The energy died away and before me stood a new man, a new Doctor, in the Ninth Doctor's clothes. He looked slightly surprised for a moment before turning to look at me. He smiled, "Hello! Okay—oo." He gulped and ran his tonged over his teeth with his brow furrowed. "New teeth. That's weird." I gave him a weak smile. This was still my Doctor, he had a new face and a few new quirks but he was still the same Time Lord. "So, where was I? Oh, that's right! First!" The Doctor, Ten, leaned forward and kissed me. This kiss was much different then the one I had shared with Nine but I wasn't complaining. The Doctor pulled back and said, "And Now! Barcelona."

**END**

**A/N: The Doctor and Faline will be back in 'A Time Lord's Hearts'. 'A Time Lord's Hearts' will not be up until the first Friday of January. I hope you all have a wonderful Holiday no matter what you celebrate!**


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